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AUSTIN — North Texas is set to receive a major influx of COVID-19 vaccine next week, driven by large one-time allocations to providers in Collin and Denton counties, state officials announced Friday.
The boost comes as the state receives an increase in Moderna-manufactured vaccine from the federal government. There’s also a one-time supply of about 127,000 shots that were not used during the statewide effort to inoculate nursing home residents and staff.
Dallas leaders urge everyone to register for COVID-19 vaccines. (Video: Everton Bailey, Jr./DMN)
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Those leftover doses are driving the one-time bump for Collin and Denton counties, where vaccine allocations have been significantly less than their share of the population, state officials said.
Denton County’s public health department will be shipped nearly 32,500 shots next week in what is the state’s largest single allotment to date. In past weeks, the county’s health department has received fewer than 10,000 doses. Similarly, five providers in Collin County will together receive about 42,900 doses next week. That’s four times more than what county providers were sent this week.
“We have a one-time big allocation of vaccines we can push out. We are using that to catch up some of the counties that were behind,” said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Dallas County providers will receive 48,000 shots next week, with most going to hubs run by Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern, the county’s public health department and the city.
Texans are eligible for a shot if they are front-line health care workers, nursing home residents, age 65 and older or have a chronic health condition.
Over 1.7 million Texans have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to date.