According to a letter from the Texas State Department of Health Services, hospitals and other facilities that have received COVID-19 vaccines are reminded that they must administer their entire assignment with “deliberate speed.”
The letter from Texas DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt, noted that there may be “unnecessary delays” in the administration of all assigned vaccines and in the notification of doses administered to the state’s immunization registry, ImmTrac2.
“The purpose of this letter is to reiterate that we are directing all the entities to which the vaccine has been assigned to administer its entire distribution as soon as possible. Please note that more vaccine will be delivered over the next few days, weeks and “It’s time to vaccinate volunteers,” Hellerstedt wrote.
“According to data from ImmTrac2, it has become clear that a significant portion of the vaccine in Texas may not be administered yet. We know you have valid reasons why this has happened in some cases, but we also know that every day there is a vaccine on the shelf is another day that prolongs the pandemic that is hampering our state’s economy and way of life, ”he added. .
The letter continued to insist on the timeliness and sense of urgency, especially with regard to those who are willing to receive the vaccine and are qualified to do so at this time. In Texas, people who are in phase 1A and phase 1B are among those who are destined to receive the former.
Phase 1A includes health and first aid workers, while Phase 1B belongs to people 65 and older. Phase 1B also includes people 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic illness that puts them at increased risk for serious illness from the virus caused by COVID-19.
“There is no need to make sure that your entire group 1A has been vaccinated before starting vaccinations 1B. If, in a given situation, all available and available people 1A and 1B have been treated, we ask that you pivot again and provide the vaccine to anyone else available and willing, regardless of their priority designation.Each trait managed matters, “Hellerstedt wrote.
At Decatur’s Wise Health System, the hospital reported the 1,165 doses administered within six days.
“We had no expectation of entering this process of being able to provide the vaccine to so many groups of lifeguards or even the public, but with additional doses on the vials we were able to help protect our community beyond the walls of our hospital. “We read that the clinic over the age of 65 did not go as well as we would have liked. The decision was made to provide the vaccine to this critical age group on Tuesday morning. implemented in less than 24 hours ”.
According to Wise Health System, they are the only rural hospital in Texas to have received the vaccine so far.
“We are grateful for this opportunity and hope that we will receive more doses in the future. And hopefully we will have more time to plan and be able to have more space to host the clinic. We will continue to communicate via Facebook if / when more vaccines are received, “the Facebook post said.
Dr. Meenakshi Ramanathan, an assistant professor of pharmacotherapy at North Texas University of Health Science in Fort Worth, said the data for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines look promising. However, it will take time and cooperation to see effectiveness.
Ramanathan noted the medical victories that emerged with the pandemic, along with challenges such as e-learning.
“Students are struggling with remote learning, whether it’s college students or K-12 elementary students,” Ramanathan said. “In order for us to return in person and have immunity to the herd with the vaccine, approximately 70% of people need the vaccine.”
Hellerstedt’s letter went on to say that entities better understand their own individual situations, so DSHS urges you “to take the initiative and move forward aggressively by administering the entire dose of vaccine you have received.”
Hellerstedt added that they want every dose to be administered and the path calmed down.
For more information on the Texas vaccine distribution plan, click here.
The following is a copy of Hellerstedt’s letter:
