35,000 COVID-19 vaccines headed to Bexar County
More than 620,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines are headed to Texas this week, with about 35,000 earmarked for hospitals, pharmacies and medical clinics in Bexar County.
As part of the second week of vaccine distribution in Texas, the state health department is asking the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to send 460,500 doses of Moderna vaccine, which was approved for emergency use Friday, and159,900 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Texas.
Those doses will be divided among 1,100 providers in 185 counties, including pharmacies, rural hospitals and smaller health care providers that missed out on last week's shipments.
“Adding the Moderna vaccine will dramatically increase the amount of vaccine that can go to rural areas and smaller providers because it ships in smaller quantities and can be stored longer at regular refrigerator temperatures,” Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement.
Almost 225,000 doses of the
Pfizer vaccine — the first given emergency approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — were shipped to Texas last week, which went to front-line workers at the state's largest health care systems. About 28,000 of those doses went to 10 San Antonio hospitals and UT Health San Antonio, the city's largest medical school.
The state sent the first shipments to large health providers because the Pfizer vaccine's minimum order is 975 doses — a number significantly higher than the number of staff many smaller hospitals have, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the state health department.
The Pfizer vaccine must also be shipped and stored at about -94 degrees Fahrenheit — more than 50 degrees colder than the average winter day at the North Pole.
The Moderna vaccine, on the other hand, ships in batches of 100 doses and can be stored in a regular freezer.
“We didn't want to send 975 doses to somewhere that could only take 100, 200 people and have that vaccine sitting on the shelf any longer than it has to be,” Van Deusen said.
Bexar County health providers
on the list for this week's shipments include numerous pharmacies, urgent care clinics, surgical centers and private medical practices.
About 1,600 doses are also earmarked for the San Antonio Fire Department, and thousands of others will go to the city's hospital to continue vaccinating health care providers.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines must be administered in two doses. People who receive the Pfizer vaccine must return for
a second shot three weeks later, while those who take the Moderna vaccine must return four weeks later.
Because it could be months until the federal government secures enough supply for the general public, the state of Texas is prioritizing vaccines for people most at risk of becoming exposed or dangerously ill with COVID-19 — such as nurses, doctors, hospital staff, emergency medical responders and nursing home residents.
After front-line health care workers and long-term care facility residents are vaccinated, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control panel recommended Sunday that those next in line should be people 75 and older and those who are “front-line essential workers,” including teachers and grocery store employees.
It's not yet known when there will be enough vaccines for the general public.