Low vaccination rates in Texas, experts express concern on new COVID-19 strains

ACROSS THE STATEHAVE DROPPED TOTHEIR LOWEST POINT INMORE THAN A YEAR.RIGHT NOW...ABOUT15-HUNDRED PEOPLEARE HOSPITALIZEDWITH COVID.THAT'S DOWN ABOUT AHUNDRED PATIENTSFROM LAST WEEK.NEW CASES,HOSPITALIZATIONS ANDDEATHS ARE AS LOW ASTHEY WERE BEFORETHE FIRST WAVE OF THEOUTBREAK ...LOOKING AT COVIDVACCINATIONS IN TEXAS-- THERE ARE MORETHAN 13-POINT-6MILLION PEOPLEVACCINATED... AND 11-POINT-5 MILLION AREFULLY VACCINATEDAFTER GETTING BOTHSHOTS.ALMOST 56-PERCENT OFTHE STATE NOW HAS ATLEAST ONE POKE.THIS WEEK-- ABOUT 500DOSES HAVE BEENGIVEN IN BELL COUNTYAND ABOUT 400 INMCLENNAN COUNTY.WHILE A LARGE NUMBEROF AMERICANS HAVEBEEN VACCINATED -- ITLOOKS LIKE WE'LL FALLSHORT OF THE JULY4TH...70-PERCENT GOALSET BY THE PRESIDENT.25 NEWS REPORTERADAM SCHINDLERSHOWS US HOW WE'RELOOKING IN CENTRALTEXASWHILE NATIONALVACCINATION RATES AREABOVE 65 PERCENT...HERE INCENTRAL TEXAS WE ARE FARBELOW THAT.PKG -TRACK 156 PERCENT OFELIGIBLE TEXANS HAVERECEIVED AT LEASTONE DOSE OF A COVIDVACCINE, BUT HERE INCENTRAL TEXAS OURRATES ARE MUCHLOWER THAN THAT.SOT - DR. AMYMERSIOVSKY,DEPARTMENT OFNURSING DIRECTOR,TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCENTRAL TEXAS."13.6 MILLION HASHAD ONE VACCINE AND 11.5MILLION HAVE HAD BOTHVACCINES.

SO EVEN THESTATE IF TEXAS CAN PUSHHARDERBUT HERE IN BELLCOUNTY WE REALLYNEED TO PUSHHARDER."TRACK 2MCLENNAN AND BELLCOUNTIES ARE BOTHUNDER 45 PERCENT OFPEOPLE WITH AT LEASTONE DOSE, THEMAJORITY OF THOSEVACCINATED IS OLDERADULTS AND SENIORCITIZENS.SOT DR. TRESAMCNEAL, HOSPITALISTPHYSICIAN, BAYLORSCOTT&WHITE INTEMPLE."MANY OF OURYOUNGER ADULTPOPULATION FEELS LIKE,MAYBE THIS VIRUS HASN'TAFFECTED THEM AS MUCHOR WOULD AFFECT THEM ASMUCH IF THEY WERE TO GETSICK."TRACK 3CURRENT TRENDS SAYTHAT IS SIMPLY NOTTRUE.DR. AMY MERSIOVSKY,DEPARTMENT OFNURSING DIRECTOR,TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCENTRAL TEXAS."RIGHT NOW WHAT ISBEING SEEN ACROSSTHE COUNTRY IS, THEBIGGEST HERD OFPEOPLE GETTING SICKWITH COVID ARE THEYOUNGER PEOPLE AND,THEY'RE GETTINGSICKER AND SICKER."TRACK 4BUT THAT IS NOT THEONLY REASON MOREYOUNG PEOPLE NEEDTO GET THEIR VACCINE."YOUNG PEOPLE CAN BECARRIERS OF THEVIRUS TO OTHERINDIVIDUALS IN THEIRFAMILIES AND THEIRCOMMUNITY EVENTHOUGH THEY MIGHTNOT HAVE SYMTEMS."TRACK 5WITH VACCINATIONRATES LOW INTEXAS...MEDICALPROFESSIONALS SAYTEXANS NEED PICK UPTHE PACE OR RISKGOING BACK TO HOW ITWAS OVER THE WINTER.SOT DR. AMYMERSIOVSKY,DEPARTMENT OFNURSING DIRECTOR,TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCENTRAL TEXAS."WE TEXAN'S LIKE TOBRAG.

BRAG ABOUTHOW GREAT WE AREAND ONE WAY WE CANBACK THAT BRAGGINGUP IS TO GET OURVACCINES AND GET OURNUMBERS DOWN."LKLV-SOME DOCTORS FEAR NEWSTRAINS OF THE COVIDCOULD TAKE HOLD IF MOREPEOPLE DO NOT GETVACCINATED.LET'S TAKE A CLOSERLOOK AT VACCINATIONSIN TEXAS.- ABOUT 1-POINT-7MILLION TEXANS FULLYVACCINATED AREBETWEEN 12 AND 15YEARS OLD.THAT'S ABOUT 13-PERCENT OF THAT AGEGROUP.- 13-POINT-7 MILLIONARE BETWEEN 16 AND49 -- THAT'S ABOUT 40-PERCENT.- 7-POINT-9 MILLION AREBETWEEN 50 AND 79 --ABOUT 65-PERCENT.- AND ABOUT 830-THOUSAND ARE 80 ANDUP --- ROUGHTLY 67-PERCENT OF THAT AGEGROUP.A NEW NATIONALSURVEY SUGGESTSCOVID-19 SPR