Announcement of the next phase of coronavirus vaccine rollout could come this week

HOUSTON – An announcement on the next stage of people eligible for the coronavirus vaccine could be made this week.

According to Douglas Loveday, press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services, the announcement of who will be included in the 1C group could come as early as this week.

This is in addition to those who are already eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as part of stages 1A and 1B. Those stages include primary care workers, nursing home residents, anyone aged 65 and over, anyone aged 16 and over with co-morbidity, and some education and childcare workers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people working in transportation and logistics, food service, housing and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety and public health be included in Stage 1C. The final decision is left to health officials in each state.

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Texas health officials said they expected to receive more than 1 million first doses of the vaccine this week.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on Monday that more than half of the state’s seniors received their shots.

President Joe Biden has said there should be enough doses to vaccinate every American adult by the end of May.