‘It’s that easy’: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott receives his COVID-19 vaccination - The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott pulled up the sleeve of his white T-shirt Tuesday and received the COVID-19 vaccine. Then, spreading his arms wide, he looked into the television camera broadcasting the event live. “It’s that easy,” he said.

Abbott and Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt received the shot publicly Tuesday in an effort to reassure Texans that the vaccine is safe as the state begins funneling doses to hospitals and pharmacies.

“As we get more and more vaccine, this will eventually be what puts the pandemic behind us,” Hellerstedt said.

Recent polls have indicated that some Texans are hesitant to get the shot. About 63% of Texans are likely to be vaccinated, according to a December survey by the Episcopal Health Foundation. While the percentage of respondents unlikely to get the COVID-19 vaccine dropped over the past few months, it still hovers around 20%, the survey found.

“We want to encourage people to get the vaccine,” said Abbott, who received the shot at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin

“I will never ask a Texan to do something that I am not willing to do myself,” he added.

With initial supplies limited, Texas is reserving its first doses for the roughly 1.9 million front-line health workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

The second priority group, announced yesterday, includes the elderly and people over age 16 with chronic health conditions, who are at higher risk of developing severe cases of COVID-19. Texas’ decision strays from federal guidance that recommends that people over age 75 and essential workers such as firefighters, teachers and grocery store personnel go next.

Members of the state’s 17-member Expert Vaccine Advisory Panel that guides decision-making said they chose the next groups with the aim of protecting the state’s most vulnerable populations. While not all essential workers are included, those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease will be eligible.

It will likely be several weeks before that second group, made up of an estimated 9 million residents, will have access to the vaccine, state officials said. The shots will be provided at clinics, pharmacies and other health care locations. Two doses are needed, spaced about three to four weeks apart.

State officials are expecting that roughly 1 million people will be vaccinated by the year’s end.

The vaccine won’t be widely available for several months. Public health experts encourage people to continue wearing masks and social distancing, especially as the holidays draw near and COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to climb across the state.

Abbott is the latest elected official to receive the vaccination in public, after others including Vice President Mike Pence and President-elect Joe Biden.

While public health experts applaud the move as a way to boost confidence, some also say more targeted outreach will be needed, especially to communities most skeptical of a vaccine. The state is planning a messaging campaign that has not yet been rolled out.

Texas Medical Association President Dr. Diana Fite thanked Abbott for taking the vaccine publicly.

“The governor is leading by example by getting the shot,” she said in a statement. “This safe and effective vaccine represents the early light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. If enough people get the shot when they are eligible to do so, we can win this battle.”

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