Dallas Health Officials Prepare as Texas Opens Covid-19 Vaccination to All Adults.

DALLAS, TX – Texas Department of State Health Services announced exciting vaccine news in a press release. All adults will be Covid-19 vaccine eligible starting March 29. Anyone 16 years and up who currently qualifies under the Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization may receive one of the three FDA-approved Covid vaccines.

These expanded guidelines come at an optimal time as the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex copes with an increase in Covid variants. Opening up the eligibility pool will help reach the 29 million Texas residents. After Governor Abbot reopened the state 100%, the race is on to see if Texas can vaccinate enough people to beat the variants’ rise.

So far, Texas has administered 9.3 million doses, and the state expects to receive an allotment of 900,000 more this week. Six million Texans have received at least one dose, and 3 million are now fully vaccinated. Recent data from the Texas CARES project, the largest Covid-19 testing database in the United States, showed only up to 24% of Texas have Covid-19 antibodies.

The Texas Department of State Services (DSHS) associate commissioner Imelda Garcia said, “We are closing in on 10 million doses administered in Texas, and we want to keep up the momentum as the vaccine supply increases.”

New DSHS guidelines have encouraged sites to prioritize those over age 80 as these patients are the most at risk for severe disease, hospitalization, and death from Covid-19. People over 80 qualify for a vaccination with or without an appointment and are to be moved to the front of the line. Pregnant women and teachers already qualify under existing regulations.

Dallas county offers vaccination at multiple sites. Local businesses, like Krispy Kreme, are encouraging vaccine compliance through special offers. Health officials are making efforts to overcome vaccine hesitancy and racial disparities.