Texas receives more than 1 million COVID-19 vaccine first doses this week

More than 1 million first doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrived to providers across Texas this week. The state is allocated 929,320 doses to 1,651 providers in 234 counties. More than 200,000 additional doses are available to pharmacy locations and federallyqualified health centers directly from the federal government.

The significant increase is largely due to a supply of 245,200 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine coming to the state. The single-dose vaccine was authorized at the end of February by the FDA and began shipping last week with 24,000 doses delivered to providers participating in the federally-supported vaccination sites in Arlington, Dallas and Houston.

Texas has now administered nearly 6.3 million doses. More than 4 million people have received at least one dose, and more than 2.2 million are fully vaccinated. Progress continues in vaccinating adults 65 years old and older with 48 percent having received at least one dose and more than 1 million seniors – more than one-quarter of the Texans in that age group – now fully vaccinated.

In addition to the first doses mentioned above, the state is ordering 457,000 doses intended as the second dose for people first vaccinated a few weeks ago. DSHS automatically orders second doses to arrive at providers in the week they can begin to be administered, so they will be available when needed. People should be able to return to the same provider to receive their second dose within six weeks of getting the first.

Texas continues to vaccinate health care workers, residents of longterm care facilities, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Last week, the state added school and child care workers to the list of people eligible to be vaccinated. According to a federal directive, the action means that “those who work in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools… and those who work as or for licensed child care providers” may now be vaccinated by any vaccine provider in Texas.

People can find more information on COVID-19 vaccine at dshs.texas.gov/ covidvaccine/.