Texas health workers have vaccinated more than 2.6 million people and given nearly twice as much their first dose, in the past 3 months.
“Right now, our drive-through clinic is huge. It’s 8 lanes we receive about 1,500 people a day. Really, it’s a large process,” said Kelly Craine with Waco-McLennan Health District.
Local health officials say they’re also saying lower numbers and cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Now the process is set get even larger soon the 1C group, which includes anyone 64 to 50 can get a vaccine, no matter what their condition is.
“About 93% of COVID really severe cases and COVID fatalities have come in people who are 50 years older and up. We know that this group is super important to be vaccinated,” said Texas A&M University-Central Texas Department of Nursing Director & Chair Amy Mersiovsky.
Bell and McLennan County are still working to vaccinate group 1B. Kelly Craine with the McLennan County Public Health District said even the new group will add more, they’re working to make plans to manage the growing number.
“We have gotten new computer systems to make it easier for people to register online. We have really trained up a call center. We’re looking at smaller processes and smaller clinics and really have them in places throughout the county,” said Craine.
Craine said they receive around 3,000 first and second doses weekly and expect those numbers to grow as more vaccines become available.
President Joe Biden set a goal of having vaccines available to everyone by May.
