State to stop reporting COVID vaccination data
Move comes as agency shifts case updates from daily to weekly
The Texas Department of State Health Services no longer will provide updates on the number of COVID-19 vaccinations being administered statewide as it transitions to reporting coronavirus data on a weekly basis.
The state’s decision to stop releasing COVID-19 vaccination data is intended to “normalize” its approach to the coronavirus, DSHS spokesperson Lara Anton said. The state releases data about other vaccines — such as those for meningitis — on an annual basis.
Vaccine providers have been submitting data to the Texas Immunization Registry, which can be accessed by health care providers, schools and public health departments. The registry is typically “opt-in,” meaning individuals need to consent to their data being included. Data on COVID-19 vaccinations has been an exception, as providers have been required to report it to the registry on an emergency basis, Anton said.
Anton said DSHS will continue to collect COVID-19 vaccination data for as long as that emergency requirement remains in place, but no longer will release it as part of its COVID-19 data updates.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 data tracker shows all 50 states were still reporting vaccine data as of last week, so Texas could be the first state to stop providing new information.
Daily updates of the state’s COVID-19 dashboard had been a staple since the beginning of the pandemic, with the state offering day-to-day updates on the number of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths. Starting Nov. 30, the dashboard will be updated once a week on Wednesdays, Anton said.
The transition has been in the works for a while, as DSHS stopped updating the dashboard on weekends over the summer and switched to three times per week about one month ago, Anton said. Texas joins a host of other states that no longer are updating their dashboards daily. Arizona, California and Ohio are among those also providing weekly updates.
The change is being made because COVID-19 no longer is an emergency situation the way it was early in the pandemic, Anton said.
By switching to a weekly format, the COVID-19 updates will be similar to the weekly flu updates DSHS releases every winter, she said.
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District still releases COVID-19 data on new cases, deaths and hospitalizations daily except for weekends and holidays.