Texas begins Covid-19 vaccinations at select nursing homes and long-term care facilities
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Select skilled nursing facilities and long-term care facilities in Texas will begin the processing of vaccinating residents and staff Monday. It's part of the federal 'Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program,' which provides such facilities with staff and Pfizer vaccines from partnering Walgreens and CVS locations.
More than 1,200 skilled nursing facilities and more than 2,000 other long-term care facilities have signed up for the program in Texas, totaling more than 225,000 certified beds.
"The Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program will help the State of Texas facilitate safe vaccinations among some of our most vulnerable populations, and it will help us protect residents and staff of long-term care facilities from Covid-19," Governor Greg Abbott said in a press release. "I thank the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for offering this program free of charge to these facilities and for working alongside us to keep our communities safe."
A local healthcare leader said the continuing availability of more Covid vaccines is a promising sign in the fight against the virus.
"The start of vaccinations has really given us all a great deal of a hope and a great deal of renewed enthusiasm," said Dr. Edward Michelson, the Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. "It's been really tough taking care of patients these last few months. It's been really hard watching patients who don't get better, who pass away. That wears on us healthcare providers. So the vaccine has been a real boost."
