Texas could receive 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in December

Texas could receive doses of coronavirus vaccine to give an initial dose to 1.4 million Texans in December, assuming U.S. health officials approve coronavirus vaccine candidates from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, Governor Greg Abbott announced on Wednesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has pledged to send Texas up to 1.4 million doses of the upcoming vaccine during the month of December, Abbott said. The vaccines require two doses per person, and state health officials have said healthcare workers will be the first in line.

Abbott said vaccine candidates will likely arrive in Texas the week of December 14. A second shipment is expected to arrive in January.

“The state of Texas is already ready for the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine and will quickly distribute these vaccines to Texans who voluntarily choose to be vaccinated,” Abbott said in a press release. “While waiting for the first shipment of these vaccines, we will work with communities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

Correction, December 2, 2020: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of people who could be vaccinated when Texas receives an initial supply of the coronavirus vaccine. It will suffice to give an initial dose to 1.4 million people, not two doses for 700,000 people.