1 in 4 adults have received first dose
A quarter of Texas residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday afternoon, state data shows.
A Chronicle analysis found that the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, has been administered to more than 5.6 million people, accounting for 25.4 percent of adults over 16.
About 2.9 million Texans have been fully immunized against COVID-19, according to the data. More than 8.4 million doses have been administered.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 23.98 percent of the 16+ population in Harris County had received at least one dose, which means the county is poised to hit the 1in-4 milestone this week as well.
An increase in COVID-19 vaccine supply, including the emergency use authorization of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, has helped the state ramp up im
munization efforts.
Access to the vaccine is also a factor; last month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opened mega-sites in Houston, Arlington and Dallas to vaccinate tens of thousands of people weekly, and on Monday, Texas widened eligibility criteria to include adults 50 and older.
Last month, Harris County hit a landmark with 1 in 8 residents 16 and older receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
While distribution across Texas has been escalating in recent weeks, the state is still behind the national numbers.
According to an analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 27 percent of Americans over the age of 16 have received at least one shot.