Seniors and Texans With Serious Health Conditions Are Next in Line for COVID-19 Vaccine

Officials for the state of Texas announced that seniors over 65 and those over age 16 with chronic health problems will be next in line to receive the state's COVID-19 vaccine, reports the Dallas Morning News . Yet it is likely that several weeks will pass before those Texans — about 8 million in all — can get inoculated. The state first has to offer the shots to roughly 1.9 million healthcare workers and long-term care community residents. The first doses in Texas went to hospitals, and the state's latest decision diverged from federal guidelines recommending that people older than 75 and essential workers like firefighters, teachers, and grocery staff be next in line. Texas policy is based on data from the Department of State Health Services indicating that seniors constitute more than 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths statewide, and evidence that adults with underlying medical conditions are more likely to develop severe infections. "The focus on people who are age 65 and older or who have comorbidities will protect the most vulnerable populations," said the Department of State Health Services' Imelda Garcia.