Texas is deviating from the CDC’s recommendations on who should receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the future.
The CDC suggests that teachers, first responders and other key workers should be next.
Texas says it will focus on people 65 and older and those with certain chronic conditions in what is known as Phase 1-B. The list of COVID-19 vaccine priorities is at the bottom of this article.
For now, the launch of phase 1-A continues. It includes health workers, people in long-term care institutions, SME workers and home health workers.
On Monday, workers with CVS and Walgreens launched full launches to begin inoculating residents with long-term care facilities.
Pharmacy chains are working with federal governments to vaccinate about seven million people at 70,000 long-term care facilities nationwide.
Launches are now underway in a dozen states.
Next Monday, December 28, the effort begins in more than 35 states, including Texas.
“It’s been a long year and we hope this will change the game to keep our residents safe and keep this virus out of our buildings,” said Chad Anderson, president of Comfort Care Management Co.
Anderson operates four memory care facilities in North Texas. He says residents have spent much of the year isolating themselves to avoid exposure to COVID-19.
“The social impact of just having someone hug you or rub your back for a minute or see some people is so important,” Anderson said.
Anderson expects that approximately 60% of staff and 90% of residents will receive the vaccine.
In Texas, CVS will send staff to 2,000 long-term care facilities to vaccinate 275,000 people.
CVS teams will make three visits to each unit, ensuring that residents and staff receive the initial hit and critical recall three weeks later.
“We can reunite families now, so it’s a great feeling to know, as we move forward, that we can do this and we shouldn’t,” said John Fratamico, local district leader for CVS Health.
The Texas Department of State said Monday that more than 70 percent of Texans who died of COVID-19 were age 65 or older.
Texas Phase 1B COVID-19 Vaccination Priorities
- People aged 65 and over
- People 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic condition who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 virus-related diseases, such as, but not limited to:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary heart disease or cardiomyopathies
- Transplantation of solid organs
- Obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg / m2 or higher)
- Task
- Sickle disease
- Type 2 diabetes