How many more COVID-19 vaccine doses are headed to Tarrant County?
Nearly 380,000 coronavirus vaccine doses are headed to Texas in its third week of vaccine distribution, including almost 32,000 to providers in Tarrant County.
The state is prioritizing front-line health care workers, as well as staff and residents of long-term care facilities in its first round of vaccine distributions. Next in line are those 65 and older and those with underlying medical conditions that put them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus.
Tarrant County is expected to receive 31,825 doses combined of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines during the third week of distribution, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Providers receiving vaccines include Kroger pharmacies, Cook Children’s Medical Center and John Peter Smith Hospital.
Statewide, 350 providers in 94 counties will receive 175,100 doses of Moderna vaccine and 81,900 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. An additional 121,875 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be used for a federal program to vaccinate staff and residents at long-term care facilities.
During the first three weeks of vaccine distribution, Texas has been allocated roughly 1.2 million doses of the vaccine, which by the end of the week will have gone to providers in 199 of the state’s 254 counties, according to DSHS.
State officials have suggested vaccine doses are not being administered and urged those who qualify to get vaccinated.
DSHS data reported Tuesday showed vaccine providers in Texas having received 611,850 doses and 163,700 doses administered in the state. In Tarrant County, 8,478 people have received their first dose of the vaccine, according to the state numbers. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses.
DSHS Commissioner John Hellerstedt has directed providers who had received the vaccine to urgently administer it. A letter signed by Hellerstedt and shared on Twitter on Dec. 24 reads “there may be unnecessary delays in administering all allocated vaccines and reporting those administered doses to the state’s immunization registry.”
The letter urges providers to quickly pivot to vaccinating those 65 and older and people with underlying medical conditions once all readily available and willing front-line health care workers and long-term care residents have been vaccinated.
“There is no need to ensure all of your 1A group has been vaccinated before starting 1B vaccinations,” the letter reads. “If, in a given situation, all readily available and willing 1A and 1B persons have been served, we urge you to pivot again and provide vaccine to any additional available and willing persons, regardless of their priority designation. Every shot administered matters.”
The letter continues, “Put another way, we urge you to add timeliness — indeed, a sense of urgency — to your priorities in your vaccination planning and operations.”
Hellerstedt followed up on that note Tuesday by saying, “no vaccine should be kept in reserve.”
“All providers that have received COVID-19 vaccine must immediately vaccinate healthcare workers, Texans over the age of 65, and people with medical conditions that put them at a greater risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19,” Hellerstedt said in a statement.
Gov. Greg Abbott took to Twitter on Tuesday, calling on providers to quickly administer vaccines.
“A significant portion of vaccines distributed across Texas might be sitting on hospital shelves as opposed to being given to vulnerable Texans,” Abbott said. “The state urges vaccine providers to quickly provide all shots. We get plenty more each week. Always voluntary.”
Tarrant County is estimating the first two phases of vaccines will be done in the next two months. The county has set up a website where those who may qualify for a vaccination can sign up to receive one.
Reporter Brian Lopez contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 2:31 PM.
