Gov. Abbott Gives Update On Vaccine Distribution Efforts In Texas

Staff Reports

On Thursday, Governor Greg Abbott gave an update on the vaccine distribution effort from the UPS Distribution Center in Austin.

This week, 23 Texas Medical Facilities received a shipment of Pfizer’s vaccine, and more are on the way.

According to Abbott, by the end of today, an additional 129 doses are projected to be delivered to 110 facilities in 34 counties this week.

Gov. Abbott said the state’s focus is providing the vaccine to frontline workers, who are facing exposure every single day.

“It was moving to see the doctors and nurses who received this vaccine just yesterday or the day before literally break out in tears,” Abbott said, “As they knew they were receiving medication that was going to protect their lives. Everybody owes a debt of gratitude to the nurses and doctors who have been on the front lines for months now. We cannot thank them enough for risking their lives to care for others.”

Abbott said in addition to first responders, the state of Texas is in the process of getting vaccines to the most vulnerable members of the population especially those in nursing homes.

“Texas has a distribution system in place to make sure that we’re stepping up and doing everything we can to save lives,” Abbott said.

According to Abbott, each week Texas, as well as other states, gets a weekly allocation about the number of COVID vaccines the state will be receiving that week.

Abbott said currently, the deliveries of the vaccines are going to approximately 110 facilities throughout Texas from which further there can be additional distributions.

“next week, it is fully expected that Texas and every other state will be receiving not only the Pfizer vaccine but also the Moderna vaccine,” Abbott said. “Thursday, 129,000 doses will be delivered across the state of Texas. For this week, we have about 224,000 doses that will be delivered.”

Ten medical facilities in Central Texas sites are expecting deliveries Thursday, Dec. 17, including Seton Medical Center Hays in Kyle, Texas. Currently, Seton is slated to receive 975 doses of the vaccine.

Abbott noted that vaccines are voluntary in the state of Texas and that there is another medical treatment for the virus officials are strongly urging the holders of the vaccine to use.  

By the end of the month, over a million vaccines will have been distributed to a variety of providers including hospitals, health centers, clinics, and other medical practices, pharmacies, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent cares, long-term care facilities, local health departments, state hospitals, state-supported living centers, and Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities.

Additionally, DSHS will begin reserving doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week for the federal Long-Term Care Pharmacy Partnership. This program will begin the week of December 28th.