US state of Texas will receive over 1.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Governor Greg Abbott has announced.
Abbott said on Wednesday the vaccines should begin arriving in Texas the week of December 14 and will be distributed to qualifying providers, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to Abbott, those who receive the initial doses will be based on the Vaccine Distribution Principles developed by the state's Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel. Additional allotments may be made later this month, and increased allotments are expected starting in January.
"The State of Texas is already prepared for the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine, and will swiftly distribute these vaccines to Texans who voluntarily choose to be immunized," said Abbott.
Last month, Abbott and Texas Department of State Health Services announced guiding principles for the state's COVID-19 vaccine allocation process, showing that healthcare workers likely to provide direct care for COVID-19 patients and other vulnerable residents will be the first to receive vaccines.
Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases have surged in the state in the past month. Official figures showed that Texas averaged 8,372 new COVID-19 cases per day last month. In October, the state averaged more than 4,340 cases a day.
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