COVID-19 vaccine could be widely available by March, Texas Gov. Abbott says
Teachers, people over the age of 60 and other members of the public could receive the coronavirus vaccine by March, Gov. Greg. Abbott said Thursday.
With a brown United Parcel Service truck as the backdrop, Abbott provided an update on the distribution of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine. Thousands of doses of the much anticipated vaccine began being shipped to hospitals across the state Monday for health care workers.
Abbott said that by the time March arrives, there will be more doses and likely more vaccine providers available.
“There will be widespread distribution,” Abbott said, speaking from a UPS distribution center in Austin.
About 95,000 doses have been delivered to 23 sites. On Thursday, an additional 129,675 doses are headed to 87 sites, according to Abbott’s office. Texas is expected to receive more than 1.4 million doses for December.
“I was heartwarming to see the doctors and nurses who received this vaccine just yesterday or the day before, literally break out in tears, as they knew they were receiving medication that was going to protect their lives,” Abbott said.
The state has established a tiered approach to vaccine distribution, prioritizing front-line health care workers and nursing home residents.
Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt said he thinks Abbott’s March timeline is “within the span of what we think is reasonable.” But asked when people not included in the first tier should expect to get it, he declined to lay out an exact timeline.
“I can tell you that they’re pouring every resource into providing those massive quantities of vaccine that we need going forward,” Hellerstedt said. “We need to be patient. It’s still going to be weeks, perhaps months before we get it absolutely available to anyone who chooses to have it.”
Hellerstedt emphasized that the vaccines are safe and effective. He encouraged people to keep wearing face masks and keep distance from others.
“This is a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel, but we’re not done yet,” he said. “This is a marathon.”
Hours after the Thursday news conference, Texas reported 16,864 new coronavirus cases, a record high. Hospitalizations have been rising, with 9,628 reported Thursday.
To help curb the spread of the virus, Abbott has issued executive orders limiting business capacity at certain establishments. Under his latest order, businesses can operate at 75% capacity and bars can open with county judge approval, as long as the region’s hospitalization rate doesn’t pass 15% for seven days.
In Tarrant County, business capacity is limited to 50% and bars are closed because of the hospitalization rate.
Abbott, who said he had not received the vaccine but would take it at an appropriate time, stressed that another statewide shutdown of businesses is not coming.
“It is time to put behind us the shutdowns,” Abbott said. “No more shutdowns. We need to focus on opening up businesses.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 11:01 AM.
