Program to vaccinate homebound

Troops will be deployed to reach Texans over 65

Texas officials are launching a new program to vaccinate homebound seniors, deploying 1,100 National Guard troops next week to reach vulnerable Texans who can’t make it to a pharmacy or other vaccination site.

“The main goal that we have in the vaccination process right now is obviously to save lives and to reduce hospitalizations,” Gov. Greg Abbott said at a Thursday news conference announcing the initiative. “Medically and mathematically, the best way to do that is to vaccinate our seniors as quickly as possible.”

Officials will administer at least 8,000 doses next week, Abbott said, though that number could increase with the impending approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Troops involved in the effort — called “Save our Seniors” — will help identify eligible seniors as well as administering the doses, he said.

The state’s program is modeled off a similar initiative in Corpus Christi, where the city fire department partnered with Meals on Wheels to go door-to-door and vaccinate homebound Texans over age 65. Abbott said the state program will also partner with local fire departments, home health nurses and nonprofits to find Texans in need of a shot.

“We want to make sure we replicate that success,” Abbott said.

As of last week, about 40 percent of Texans ages 65 and older had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Abbott said. Officials hope to bring that number to 50 percent by next week, and to reach all willing seniors by the end of March, he said.

In total, Texas has administered nearly 4.7 million vaccine doses so far. Almost 1.5 million people have received two shots, making them fully vaccinated.