HOUSTON — State health officials expect to have 1 million Texans fully vaccinated by Friday.
During a press briefing Thursday afternoon, Imelda Garcia with the Texas Department of State Health Services told reporters more than 960,000 Texans had received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Garcia said another 2.7 million-plus Texans have gotten at least their first dose of the vaccine. That includes about one out of three Texans age 65 and older.
One of them was Michael Allen. The U.S. Navy veteran got his second dose of COVID-19 vaccine Thursday morning, marking the 20,000th dose administered by the VA.
“It's a great feeling knowing that I have both my shots now,” Allen said. “It relieves a lot of pressure."
During a roundtable discussion Thursday afternoon in Dallas, Governor Greg Abbott said Texas has vaccinated more people in the last week than any 7-day stretch during the pandemic.
"If they do continue on the same trend, we are already evaluating ways that we can begin to lift restrictions,” said Gov. Abbott.
The governor expects numbers to keep climbing with the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine and three FEMA mega sites set to open Feb. 24.
State health officials confirmed Thursday afternoon Houston’s mega site at NRG Stadium will give up to 6,000 shots each day.
"We're talking about 6,000 vaccines are being given in a single day for about eight weeks,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston, speaking during a vaccination event at Texas Southern University. “That will make a huge difference.”
That vaccine supply will be FEMA's own.
"That does not take out of (President Joe Biden’s) allotment or the county's allotment or the state's allotment,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston), also at the TSU event.
Registration details for these mega sites still haven't been released. State health officials said FEMA will designate local providers to oversee that effort.