Not many got vaccinated this week as most of the state is at a stand still.
Texas was slated to receive more than four hundred thousand doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine this week. 125 thousand arrived late last week and another 20 thousand were delivered mid-week.
Chris Van Deusen with the Texas Department of State Health Services says the state should get that allotment and perhaps an equal amount for next week's shipment. FEMA supported mega sites open next week in Tarrant, Dallas and Harris Counties.
He says those in between shots will not miss their second dose. "The recommendation is to get that second dose within six weeks of getting the first, but if you don't it doesn't mean you have to start all over. If it ends up being seven or eight weeks later because of this weather, that's fine. You can go ahead and get that second dose and get the full protection." He's still waiting to hear from the Centers for Disease Control and their shipping partners at FexEd and UPS as to when more shipments will arrive.
New case numbers have been at their lowest level this week since October. Van Deusen says there is under reporting due to the weather event. "We are not hearing from all the jurisdictions across the state that typically report new cases to us. I expect we will see some kind of catch up once power comes back fully on and those local jurisdictions are able to shift their focus away from the immediate emergency operations and send us reports of cases they are diagnosing and investigating. "It may be with people staying home and having to hunker down, that limits the transmission of Covid-19 in the state. Maybe that's a little bit of a silver lining, if there is one."
