Governor Greg Abbott, Dr. John Hellerstedt of DSHS, and Nim Kidd of TDEM held a press conference on December 17 in conjunction with UPS to discuss COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Texas.
The HillCo report below is a summary of remarks intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics discussed. This report is not a verbatim transcript; it is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Governor Gereg Abbott
- Wanting to make sure we are able to distribute the vaccine across Texas
- Operation Warp Speed is a significant help to returning things to normal, thanks UPS for partnering in delivering vaccines
- Lead recipients of COVID vaccine are doctors and nurses on the frontline, everyone should be thankful to the doctors and nurses sacrificing their lives caring for COVID patients
- Will also ensure vaccines reach the most vulnerable populations, like those in nursing homes and those with comorbidities
- Each week, Texas and other states get a weekly allocation of vaccines for the week, UPS will be making the initial delivery over several days
- Initial deliveries are going to about 110 hospitals and distributed further from there due to cold storage requirements
- Before today, already delivered 95k doses of the COVID vaccine, delivering an additional 129k doses today, 224k total this week
- Will increase next week with the introduction of the Moderna vaccine, will allow us to vaccinate over 1 million people and expecting this to increase with deliveries and production increases
- Next month, Texas will be delivering to health care facilities across the state, long-term care will be receiving vaccines later this month
- Vaccines are voluntary, will have a keen focus on who will be first in line for vaccines
- In addition to these vaccines, strongly urging holders of vaccines to provide antibody therapeutic drugs to patients, these drugs can help COVID patients recover
- Every holder of these drugs should get them off the shelves and administer them to patients
Dr. John Hellerstedt, Department of State Health Services
- Seeing the culmination of the science conducted since the pandemic began
- These vaccines are proven safe and effective, no shortcuts were taken; production was started early on while effectiveness was being studied
- This is a light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re not done yet
- Vaccine and monoclonal antibody therapeutics will let us see some amazing reversing trends
Chief Nim Kidd, Texas Division of Emergency Management
- Had one set of tools at the start, therapeutics are another tool, vaccine is the latest
- Our team will continue to focus on PPE and testing, will push hard to distribute vaccine
Governor Greg Abbott
- Participated in a summit last week on how the process works, Operation Warp Speed was collaborative effort across industry and stakeholders; UPS comes into play in the delivery and thankful for their involvement
UPS Representative
- Honored and humbled to be part of the process, UPS has been involved in the pandemic response since the beginning
- Governor and state worked with us daily to ensure we could continue to operate
- Vaccines are the most important holiday gift; highlights the delivery package of vaccine doses, including cold storage protocol
Questions
- Asks after Teachers
- Gov. Abbott – Teachers play a pivotal role in our society, part of restoring normalcy is getting kids back in school and part of this is getting teachers safe and vaccinated
- Urge and hope teachers to be at the front of the line in receiving the vaccine
- Some are concerned the general public won’t be receiving vaccines for 3 or 4 months
- Gov. Abbott – Only hospitalizations go into increasing restrictions
- Vaccine will be able to treat those most likely to need a hospital bed, I think you will see very significant results from this
- No government leader anywhere has been able to figure out the spread, California had shutdowns and spread increased
- Will have no more shutdowns, every adult knows what COVID is and knows how to protect themselves
- I do think the capitol should be reopened and the capitol will be reopened
- There will be widespread distribution of the vaccine to the public, the term “public” includes those vulnerable populations receiving the vaccine soon
- Will be multiple vaccines providers by March
- I have not received a vaccine yet, will take it at the appropriate time, wanted to ensure health care workers receive the vaccine first
- How many drivers today are delivering vaccine package today?
- UPS – 7 drivers out of this facility, other facilities are delivering as well
- Question about health care workers receiving the vaccine
- Hellerstedt – Giving the vaccine first to health care workers who are taking care of COVID patients, e.g. those that are exposed constantly
- Main focus has been to slow the spread so far to ensure we had beds available
- Health care workers can have an extra layer of protection, will preserve integrity of hospital-based workforce
- How are the next vaccines being distributed?
- Hellerstedt – Looking at the next allocations of vaccine and making nuanced decisions, relying on the opinion of the Expert Vaccine Allocation Panel
- When will the vaccine be widely available?
- Hellerstedt – Will be providing this information as it is available, still working on increasing capacity to produce and distribute vaccines; still could be weeks or months
- Need to continue distancing, masks, hygiene, personal responsibility measures; successful so far because enough were willing to do these things
- Is there more that needs to be done considering resurgence of COVID?
- Hellerstedt – Had a resurgence, should be of great concern; vaccine is not an immediate answer, still need to continue safe practices
- Question about vaccine development timeline
- Hellerstedt – Within the span of what we think is reasonable and what can occur, significant effort to make a safe and effective vaccine in such a short amount of time