Texas to receive more than 500,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week

Texas is set to receive more than 500,000 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government next week.

In a press release, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced the state will receive 520,425 first doses for the week of February 1.

DSHS has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ship the doses to 344 providers in 166 counties. This includes 82 hub providers.

The state says 262 other providers will receive doses next week, including more than 100 federally qualified health centers, community health centers, and rural health clinics that typically provide primary care for underserved populations.

DSHS credits the increase in vaccines to a 30% increase in the number of Moderna doses being provided to the state, as well as a one-time return of 126,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine that Texas was required to set aside for the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. According to DSHS, the program overestimated the amount of vaccine needed, so doses are being given back to the states.

The state is allocating doses from the program to providers in counties where allocations have been "significantly less" than their population. This particularly affects suburban Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.

In addition to the more than 500,000 first doses, the state is set to order 188,225 doses, which are intended as the second dose for people vaccinated a few weeks ago.

The state is working with providers to make sure they order the number of second doses they need at the appropriate time. Texans should return to the same provider to receive their second dose.

So far, 2.2 million doses of vaccine have been administered across the state. More than 1.75 million Texans have received at least one dose, with more than 410,000 considered fully vaccinated.