On Monday, the state identified who qualifies in the next group, called group 1B.
Group 1B includes people 65 and older and people 16 and older with chronic medical conditions, including:
RELATED: Texas is prioritizing age 65 and older for the next round of vaccination
When can people who qualify for Group 1B expect to receive the vaccine?
According to DSHS, there are eight million people in Texas who are eligible for Group 1B, although some of them are also eligible to be vaccinated as part of Group 1A as health professionals or long-term residents. Bill McKeon, the CEO and president of the Texas Medical Center, says it all depends on how much vaccine they get. At this point, local health leaders are waiting to see if they get even more guidance from the state, but once enough vaccine is available, they expect 1B vaccinations to begin.
“Every entity I know (that) has a vaccine, if they get to the point where the Phase 1A folks no longer show up to be vaccinated, they won’t stay on vaccine. 1B, and I applaud them for doing that, ”said Dr. David Persse of the Houston Health Authority.
Where are the people going to get the vaccine?
There are a number of entities that have applied to be COVID-19 vaccine suppliers in Texas. The hope is that many people will go to their doctor’s office to get a vaccine, but if you don’t have a doctor, there are other options in the works.
Dr. Persse says they need to have a network outside the hospitals to make sure people in group 1B are vaccinated.
“In a perfect world, everyone on that list would have a primary care physician who can contact them and coordinate with those who are getting vaccinated. We still hope this will happen to a great extent, but we also know that there are people who meet those qualifications who don’t necessarily have a GP. So we still have to figure out how to get them, advertise, communicate and explain why they need to be vaccinated, “said Dr. Persse.
If you do not have a GP, do you have to prove that you fall into one of the 1B categories?
“Is there going to be a check and balance to make sure you really have the disease you’re claiming? I don’t really know how we can do that, so there are a lot of talks now,” said Dr. Persse. .
Why did the Texas Vaccine Allocation Panel select those 65 and older and 16 and older with certain medical conditions as the next vaccinated group?
DSHS said the state is prioritizing people most at risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. More than 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the state have occurred in people 65 and older.
When can the general population expect the vaccine?
Probably in April or May.
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