Texas is the first state to administer 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Greg Abbot (R) announced Thursday.
Among the top 20 distribution states, Texas ranks number one in terms of the percentage of doses administered, Abbot said in a statement.
Data from disease control and prevention centers show tThe Lone Star State has administered 1,043,624 doses since Jan. 14. The state has distributed 2,105,600 doses.
Voluntary vaccination is currently being carried out in the state for front-line health workers, residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and for people over the age of 65 or with an illness. chronic.
According to The Texas Tribune, Abbot said 1.4 million health workers and vulnerable residents would be vaccinated by the end of 2020, but the initial vaccine launch was met with communication problems and erroneous techniques.
“Texas is once again leading the way for our nation,” Abbott said in a statement. “This is the biggest vaccination effort we have ever made and it would not have been possible without the dedication and tireless efforts of our healthcare workers.
“We still have a long way to go, but jeans continue to show that we are up to the challenge,” he added.
The number comes as the United States competes to vaccinate more people after facing a slow deployment late last year. To date, more than 11 million doses have been administered out of the 30 million doses distributed.
Several states, including Mississippi, New York, and California, recently expanded vaccine eligibility in an effort to vaccinate more of their populations.