What I think I know after a full day of non-stop meetings with state agencies and pharmacies about COVID vaccine distribution. #txlege 1/

Based on assumption that all delivered vaccines were not being administered, @TexasDSHS issued memo yesterday mandating all vaccine providers "must immediately vaccinate all healthcare workers, Texans over 65, & people w/ medical conditions that put them at a greater risk." 2/

This immediate expansion was greeted w/ much enthusiasm. DSHS posted information on their website listing all providers & how much vaccine they had received, & w/ directive to use DSHS's online map "to find & call a vaccine provider near you" to sign up to get vaccinated. 3/

Piling onto myth/assumption there was unused vaccine languishing on pharmacy shelves waiting to be administered, Abbott tweeted "State urges vaccine providers to quickly provide all shots. We get plenty more each week." Many of us assumed a surplus & also encouraged. 4/

Texans took this to heart & w/ great expectations began calling providers in their community only to find they either had no excess vaccine, had already committed doses they had to healthcare providers, &/or were not vaccinating Phase 1B people yet, despite DSHS's mandate. 5/

Turns out the excess vaccines likely don't exist. Same tech difficulties that plagued state systems in reporting testing data were also at play in reporting vaccines administered; untold number had yet to populate ImmTrac giving false impression larger number of remained. 6/

We're in week 3 of vaccine distribution. Some of week 2's yet to be received, tho most already committed. Week 3's ongoing, but also already committed. Week 4's for next week may provide some options for 1B vaccinations but shipments expected to be much lower--few available. 7/

Unfortunately, rollout of expanded eligibility came before assurance of available vaccines. Some areas, like Houston, have actually begun vaccinating 1B people thru healthcare institutions where they are enrolled for primary care. Not the case in many other parts of the state. 8/

Adequate access for most will likely take months. In the meantime, we need to continue to mask, distance, and isolate as Texas hospitalizations for the past 3 days exceeded the highest rate in July, state positivity rate = almost 19% (10% is red flag)...9/

& statewide COVID hospitalizations account for 17.45% total capacity (15%+ over 7 days = pause reopenings), and it's reported that 10 of the state's 22 Trauma Service Areas have met the pause threshhold. End/