Texans aged 50 and over will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 15, state health officials announced on Wednesday.
“Extension between the ages of 50 and 64 will continue the state’s priorities to protect those most at risk from severe outcomes and to preserve the state’s health care system,” said Imelda Garcia, associate commissioner of the State Department. for Health Services for Laboratory Services and Infectious Diseases and Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel Chair.
People over the age of 50 account for more than 93 percent of coronavirus deaths in Texas, DSHS said, while people between the ages of 50 and 64 account for 20 percent of all deaths.
Those in Phase 1A are front-line care workers or residents of long-term care units. Phase 1B includes those over the age of 65 or those over the age of 16 with a chronic condition that puts them at risk for serious illness. More details from the state about the phases of the group can be found here.
On March 3, the availability of the vaccine was expanded to include teachers, school staff and childcare workers.
The state says the launch of Group 1C will continue to help reduce hospitalizations and deaths “for all races, ethnicities and occupations,” a press release said.
The state has seen “a remarkable drop in the number of hospitalizations and deaths since people 65 and older began to be fully vaccinated in January,” Garcia said.
More than half of all seniors in Texas have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 30% are now fully vaccinated. The number of COVID-19-positive patients in Texas hospitals fell two-thirds from its peak in mid-January.
There are about 5 million Texans between the ages of 50 and 64; over 1 million of them are already vaccinated.
In all, more than 7 million doses were administered in Texas. About 4.7 million people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 2.5 million are fully vaccinated.
Want to get a waiting list for vaccines?
As the state begins distributing COVID-19 vaccines to those in Phase 1A and 1B, county health departments have begun waiting lists for those who want to be inoculated.
You can now register to receive vaccinations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. The links are below:
Waiting list links: Collin – Waiting list search | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant
You do not have to be a county resident to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county – registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without internet access, Tarrant County also makes registrations by phone at 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS Vaccine Helpline at 1-855-IMMUNE9 (1-855-466-8639). In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.
Distribution of Texas COVID-19 vaccine
Data from the Texas State Department of Health shows where COVID-19 vaccines have been shipped statewide. Click a marker to find out information about each location. Use the “plus” and “minus” signs below to zoom in and out on the map.