According to DSHS, Bell County has seen the hospitalization rates drop from over 16 percent to just over 12 percent in the past week. While McLennan County is at around 16 percent, it is a decrease from the over 23 percent they were seeing just a week ago.
Focus of COVID-19 vaccination efforts shifting from hubs to other providers
No official timeline on closure of East Texas hubs A COVID-19 vaccine shot is prepared at UT Health Science Center in Tyler. (Source: KLTV) By Blake Holland | April 12, 2021 at 6:47 PM CDT - Updated April 13 at 2:07 AM
TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - When vaccine hubs first opened across East Texas, appointments went fast. At times, thousand of slots were filled at the handful of area locations in just minutes. But months into the effort to vaccinate East Texans, things are much different.
“There’s a lot of vaccine going into a lot of different places right now,” said Lara Anton with the Texas Department of State Health Services, who says the vaccination process is evolving.
DSHS asks providers in Texas to pause administration of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
AP
FILE - This Dec. 2, 2020, file photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows vials of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021 cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two (Johnson & Johnson via AP)
Posted at 10:24 AM, Apr 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-13 13:57:47-04
The Texas Department of State Health Services is asking vaccine providers in Texas to pause all administration of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine following
Those that will allow more expanded visits include: (According to DSHS) Eastern and Western State Hospitals, the Child Study and Treatment Center and the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island. Visitation will also be allowed at the Fort Steilacoom, Maple Lane and Yakima Competency Restoration Residential Treatment Centers.
Following CDC guidelines that were released and other protocols, the expanded visitations are now in effect. According to DSHS, people who were being treated on a 24-7 basis were among the first to receive vaccines. Some 693 persons undergoing some sort of state mental health and behavioral treatment have been vaccinated.
DSHS issued this comment Monday:
On April 5, Austin Public Health expanded registration access for coronavirus vaccine appointments to include people age 40 and up and announced the agency s intention to expand access incrementally moving forward.
Texans age 16 and up became eligible to receive a vaccine March 29, with people ages 16-17 only allowed to receive Pfizer vaccine. APH has yet to open its supply to all eligible residents, however, and has said it will continue to prioritize vaccinations “by age and risk for severe disease” as it gradually expands access to the general public.
“APH will notify the public again when appointment scheduling expands beyond this group,” APH said in a statement.