Most Texas people are unlikely to get the COVID-19 vaccine by July

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If the COVID-19 vaccine is ready next month, Texas health officials predict that it will not be widely available to Texas people until at least July 2021.

The state’s vaccine distribution program allows vulnerable people, such as health care workers, the elderly, and people with underlying illnesses, to be first vaccinated in the first few months when the vaccine is available.

The estimated timeline presented at a meeting of health authorities on Monday depends on the COVID-19 vaccine approved by the end of the year, but it is unclear if that will happen. However, allocation plans provide more information about who will be vaccinated first in Texas and how long it will take for the vaccine to be released to the public.

“At first glance, vaccination allocation will be a complex and demanding task,” Texas Health Commissioner John Hellerstett said in a conference call on Monday. “I don’t know when the vaccine will arrive. I don’t know which vaccine will arrive. I don’t know how much the vaccine given will arrive.”

The state’s new vaccine distribution program illustrates the previous pandemic challenges of test availability and lack of personal protective equipment. Initially, the state is unable to keep up with demand and assumes that even those who prioritize vaccination may be in short supply.

Currently, there are no approved vaccines for COVID-19, but there are some that are at various stages of development. DSHS spokesman Chris Van Deusen said the state timeline would be updated as authorities learned more about vaccine availability.

The plan has a step-by-step approach: “Because vaccine supply is limited at the start of the program, the first allocation may be vaccination and outreach to limited vulnerable and front-line people. You need to focus on the providers and settings that you can. “

The state estimates that there are more than 5 million people working in front-line jobs that are vulnerable or exposed to the virus. This includes over 3.9 million adults aged 65 and over, over 638,000 healthcare professionals, over 327,000 emergency hospital employees, over 137,000 nursing home residents, and over 66,000 EMS workers.

These are the groups that may prioritize vaccines in Phase 1 from late November to December. Prioritization may also include people of color or Texas who are imprisoned, detained, homeless, or live on college campuses. It may also include people with disabilities and uninsured people.

“A final decision has been made on the use of the first available COVID-19 vaccine,” the plan said. More vaccines will be available in Phase 2. However, Texas continues to prioritize key groups with specialized vaccine teams that can be deployed as needed, such as long-term care facilities and local communities. During this phase, some healthy people may have access to the vaccine from more providers, such as pharmacies and doctors. Offices, clinics, public health sites.

In Phase 3, scheduled for July on the timeline, the state expects a sufficient supply of vaccine doses available to most who want it.

The plan assumes that the vaccine should be given twice, at least every 21 or 28 days, and that the vaccine should be refrigerated or frozen.

To develop the plan, the state relied on the treatment and response of previous experiences with the H1N1 or swine flu pandemic. The DSHS stated in its plans that these efforts have resulted in great success in vaccine distribution and overall communication.

“For H1N1, many of the pandemic flu plans were based on worst-case scenarios (ie, predictions about H5N1 bird flu), but public health officials, emergency response personnel, and other response partners announced the event. It adapted quickly when it was done, “reads the plan.