Texas to open COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults next week

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – All adults will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Texas starting Monday, March 29. The Texas Department of State Health Services is opening up admissibility in anticipation of increasing vaccine supplies next week. 

“We are closing in on 10 million doses administered in Texas, and we want to keep up the momentum as the vaccine supply increases,” said Imelda Garcia, DSHS associate commissioner for laboratory and infectious disease services and the chair of the Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel. “As eligibility opens up, we are asking providers to continue to prioritize people who are the most at risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death – such as older adults.”

DSHS also has directed vaccine providers to prioritize people 80 years or older when scheduling appointments.  They’re also asked to accommodate anyone in that age group who shows up for a vaccination, whether or not they have an appointment, by immediately moving them to the front of the line.

 DSHS next week will launch a website to allow people to register for a shot through some public health providers. The public will be able to enroll in the Texas Public Health Vaccine Scheduler to identify upcoming vaccine clinics hosted by DSHS or a participating local health department and be notified when new clinics and appointments become available. People can continue to find additional providers through the DSHS Vaccine Information page. 

For those who can’t go online, DSHS will launch a toll-free number to provide assistance making an appointment with a participating provider or locating another provider that has vaccine available.

Texas has administered more than 9.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.  That equates to more than 6 million people with at least one dose and more than 3 million who are fully vaccinated. Most vaccines are authorized for people 18 years old and older; the FDA has authorized the Pfizer vaccine for use in people 16 and older.