BY KARINA KLING TEXAS; PUBLISHED 9:07 PM CT MAY. 04, 2021
The situation surrounding the coronavirus continues to improve in Texas with cases and hospitalizations going down significantly since their peak at the beginning of this year. But health officials warn we're not out the woods as variant cases are on the rise across the state.
State health officials reported just over 3,200 new cases Tuesday and 2,600 people are currently hospitalized. The decrease in numbers is in large part thanks to vaccinations. Currently, 36 percent of Texans are fully vaccinated.
"I think it's very, very important this vaccine campaign has been just an extraordinary success so far. We still have a long way to go," said Dr. Gerald Parker, the director of the Pandemic and Biosecurity Policy Program at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service.
There's also some concern that could change as vaccine demand drops. One of the new concerns is people skipping their second dose. State health officials say about 5% of Texans are past due for their second dose, which means you’re not as effective in preventing the spread of the disease or protecting yourself.
"That second dose is very important for eliciting a proper immune response so that we can be properly immunized," Dr. Parker said.
Some health experts believe herd immunity could be unlikely with the drop off in vaccinations, but Dr. Parker said he's optimistic we're on the right track.
"I'm going to break conventional wisdom here and I think we have to have a little bit more honest discussion on how important herd immunity is. Of course, it's important to achieve, but is it really achievable? And can we do the things we're doing right now to mitigate the severe impact of COVID-19? And I think we can," he said.
As the legislative session winds down, health experts are also urging lawmakers to prepare for the next pandemic. A flurry of proposals has been filed related to the pandemic.
"Preparedness is essential. To me, the most important thing we can do is to have the structures to enable proper leadership. We need proper frameworks for effective coordination, collaboration, innovation, and communication. That's really the most essential thing," Dr. Parker said. "We're always going to need more resources, but if we can't integrate and better utilize the resources we have, we're not going to be as prepared as we could be."