Austin (1080 KRLD) - According to a compilation of numbers from both the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State has now eclipsed the 20-million mark of doses of the COVID vaccines administered.
In their vaccination update over Zoom, Imelda Garcia, DSHS Associate Commissioner said according to the State’s Immunization Registry more than 11.6 million people have gotten at least 1 dose, about 52% of Texans 60 and older and more than 9 million are fully vaccinated.
“Those numbers don’t include doses administered from our federal agencies, like the Department of Defense or the Veterans Administration. And in fact when you add those numbers in, according to the CDC, we’re already at 20 million doses administered,” said Garcia.
The big news of the week is the expansion of COVID vaccine eligibility to include adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.
DSHS has reminded providers that parental consent is required for the vaccination of children in this age group. Consent may be given orally or in writing; the parent or guardian does not need to be present for the adolescent to be vaccinated unless required by the vaccine provider.
At this time, only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people ages 12 to 17, and it is the same vaccine already widely available across the state for use in adults. Youth and parents should contact providers in their area to ensure they are offering the Pfizer vaccine before making an appointment or attending a walk-up vaccine clinic.
Tools for locating vaccine providers are available at covidvaccine.texas.gov or vacunacovid.texas.gov.