Texas is expanding the vaccine eligibility to anyone over the age of 50 starting next week

HOUSTON – Texas health officials on Wednesday announced eligibility requirements for the coronavirus vaccine starting next week.

In a tweet, officials from the State Department of Health Services said anyone over the age of 50 will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday as part of the state’s Phase 1C launch.

Health officials say there are about 5 million Texans between the ages of 50 and 64 and more than a million of them are already vaccinated.

This is in addition to people who are already eligible to receive the vaccine in Phases 1A and 1B, which includes primary care workers, residents and staff in nursing homes, certain teachers and childcare workers and anyone aged 16 years and older.