Before you know it, attention will turn from “there aren’t enough vaccines for the people who want them” to “not all of the people who ought to be vaccinated are getting their shots.”
But not yet. Texans are struggling with a gaping mismatch between supply and demand, a jangle made much worse by the state’s decision to open eligibility to millions more people before it had millions more doses of the vaccine.
kAm%96D6 2C6?’E !=2J$E2E:@?D @C 496DD D6EDj E96 4=2>@C 7@C G244:?6D :D?’E 2 D:8? @7 4@>>6C4:2= DF446DD] {:<6 E96 H2:ED 7@C F?6>A=@J>6?E 36?67:ED[ 7@@5 32?<D @C r~'xs\`h E6DE:?8[ :E’D 2 D:8? @7 2 A2?56>:4 E92E :D @?46 282:? @G6CH96=>:?8 @FC :?DE:EFE:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE D9:A>6?ED @7 G244:?6D =2?565 :? %6I2D =2DE >@?E9[ H:E9 A=6?EJ @7 42G62ED E92E E96J H@F=5 @?=J 36 2G2:=23=6 E@ 7C@?E\=:?6 H@C<6CD F?E:= 6?@F89 H6C6 2G2:=23=6 E@ =6E E96 C6DE @7 FD :?E@ =:?6] %96 r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@? 925 2 =:DEi 962=E9 42C6 2?5 ?FCD:?8 9@>6 H@C<6CD 7:CDE[ E96? “6DD6?E:2=” H@C<6CD[ 7@==@H65 3J 25F=ED H:E9 9:89\C:D< >65:42= 4@?5:E:@?D 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ H6C6 ed J62CD @=5 @C >@C6]k^Am
kAmxE DE2CE65 D=@H=J 2?5 @AE:>:DE:42==J] pE E96 D2>6 E:>6[ E96 A2?56>:4 ?F>36CD H6C6 C:D:?8j 42D6D 2?5 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@?D H6C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ DEC6DD E96 DE2E6’D >65:42= :?7C2DECF4EFC6] $E2E6 @77:4:2=D H2?E65 E@ DA665 FA G244:?2E:@?D[ 762C:?8 E92E[ 2D v@G] vC68 p33@EE AFE :E :? 2 EH66E[ “2 D:8?:7:42?E A@CE:@? @7 G244:?6D 5:DEC:3FE65 24C@DD %6I2D >:89E 36 D:EE:?8 @? 9@DA:E2= D96=G6D 2D @AA@D65 E@ 36:?8 8:G6? E@ GF=?6C23=6 %6I2?D]”k^Am
kAmpD E96J AFD965 AC@G:56CD E@ 25>:?:DE6C G244:?6D 2D BF:4<=J 2D A@DD:3=6[ 2=D@ FC8:?8 E96> E@ FD6 2== 5@D6D :? 6249 G:2= 367@C6 E96J DA@:=[ E96 DE2E6 2=D@ 6IA2?565 6=:8:3:=:EJ 7@C E96 D9@ED E@ 6G6CJ@?6 :? E96 rsr’D 7:CDE E9C66 8C@FAD 6I46AE 7@C 6DD6?E:2= H@C<6CD — 67764E:G6=J BF:?EFA=:?8 E96 ?F>36C @7 %6I2?D A6C>:EE65 E@ 86E :? =:?6]k^Am
kAmpD DE2E6 @77:4:2=D 9@A65[ E92E DA665D FA E96 FD6 @7 2G2:=23=6 G244:?6] xE 2=D@ DEC2:?D 2 DJDE6> E92E H2D?’E C625J 7@C E92E <:?5 @7 56>2?5[ H9:49 :D H9J H6’C6 2== 962C:?8 23@FE 5@4E@CD[ 4=:?:4D[ 5CF8 DE@C6D 2?5 D@ @? H:E9@FE 6?@F89 5@D6D 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 :? =:?6]k^Am
kAm%96 =2E6DE @77:4:2= 564=2C2E:@? 42>6 %9FCD52J 7C@> E96 %6I2D s6A2CE>6?E @7 $E2E6 w62=E9 $6CG:46Di “'244:?6 C6>2:?D =:>:E65 32D65 @? E96 42A24:EJ @7 E96 >2?F724EFC6CD E@ AC@5F46 :E[ D@ :E H:== E2<6 E:>6 7@C %6I2D E@ C646:G6 6?@F89 G244:?6 7@C E96 A6@A=6 :? E96 AC:@C:EJ A@AF=2E:@?D H9@ H2?E E@ 36 G244:?2E65] %96 DFAA=J :D 6IA64E65 E@ :?4C62D6 :? E96 4@>:?8 >@?E9D[ 2?5 255:E:@?2= G244:?6D 2C6 :? 4=:?:42= EC:2=D 2?5 >2J 36 2FE9@C:K65 3J E96 u@@5 2?5 sCF8 p5>:?:DEC2E:@?]”k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?@C 92D 366? EH66E:?8 2 8@@5 82>6[ A@:?E:?8 @FE E92E %6I2D 92D FD65 2 8C62E6C D92C6 @7 2G2:=23=6 5@D6D — bd]d A6C46?E @7 23@FE `]c >:==:@? 5@D6D D9:AA65[ 244@C5:?8 E@ q=@@>36C8[ 2?5 2=>@DE c_ A6C46?E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6’D G244:?6 52D93@2C5 — E92? D@>6 @E96C 3:8 DE2E6D] ~?=J ag >:==:@? >@C6 %6I2?D E@ 8@P %96J’C6 @A6?:?8 9F3D H96C6 =2C86 ?F>36CD @7 A6@A=6 4@F=5 36 G244:?2E65] |@C6 G244:?6D 2C6 @? E96 H2J]k^Am
kAmr~'xs\`h[ :? E96 >62?E:>6[ 92D C:D6? E@ =6G6=D 6G6? 9:896C E92? E96 DF>>6C A62<D 2?5 962=E9 @77:4:2=D 6IA64E 2?@E96C C:D6 7@==@H:?8 E96 9@=:52JD] p ?6H 4@C@?2G:CFD DEC2:? — @?6 E92E :D A@E6?E:2==J >@C6 4@?E28:@FD — 92D 366? C6A@CE65 :? w2CC:D r@F?EJ[ 27E6C 42D6D 2AA62C65 :? E96 &?:E65 z:?85@> 2?5 :? D6G6C2= @E96C DE2E6D]k^Am
kAm(:E9 2 =68:D=2E:G6 D6DD:@? DE2CE:?8 :? =6DD E92? 2 H66<[ D@>6 s6>@4C2E:4 DE2E6 =2H>2<6CD 2C6 AC6DD:?8 E96 8@G6C?@C 2?5 DE2E6 962=E9 @77:4:2=D E@ @G6C92F= E96 5:DEC:3FE:@? AC@46DD] %6I2D 5@6D?’E 92G6 2== @7 E96 G244:?6D :E ?665D[ 3FE 3J :ED @H? >62DFC6[ :E 2=D@ 92D?’E FD65 6G6? 92=7 @7 E96 G244:?6 5@D6D :E 92D]k^Am
kAmxE’D 3F>A:6C E92? :E @F89E E@ 36[ 6DA64:2==J 3642FD6 E96 7656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?ED :? 492C86 @7 5:DEC:3FE:?8 G244:?6D 92G6 <?@H? 7@C >@?E9D E92E E96J’5 36 5@:?8 E9:D 2D D@@? 2D E96 5CF8D H6C6 56G6=@A65]k^Am
kAm(@F=5?’E J@F 92G6 E9@F89E 56G6=@A:?8 G244:?6D 7@C 2 ?@G6= 4@C@?2G:CFD[ 2?5 :? C64@C5 E:>6[ H@F=5 36 E96 92C5 A2CEnk^Am
Ross Ramsey is executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Contact him at rramsey@texastribune.org.
(0) entries
Sign the guestbook.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.