Though the rate of American adults who received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine fell short of the Biden Administration’s 70% goal by July 4, the Rio Grande Valley had long-surpassed that goal. But while vaccination efforts have only continued since then, the rate that they’re administered in the Valley as of Independence Day was only slightly higher than they were about a month ago.
As of July 4, just over 78% of all adults 16 years or older in the Valley received at least one dose of the available COVID-19 vaccines and about 67% were fully vaccinated, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Statewide, only 60% of adults 16 years or older have received at least one dose and 52% have been fully vaccinated.
While the Valley continues to outpace the rates of the state, the rates vary among the four individual Valley counties.
Starr County continues to have the highest rates in the county with 83% of all adults having received at least one dose and 75% fully vaccinated.
In Hidalgo County, about 78% of all adults received at least one dose while 67% are fully vaccinated.
Cameron County is faring slightly better, reporting that 79% of all adults received at least one dose while 68% are fully vaccinated.
Willacy County is the only Valley county that has not reached the 70% goal, reporting that 62% of adults received at least one dose and 53% are fully vaccinated.
President Joe Biden initially set his 70% goal in May, but the White House acknowledged last month that the U.S. would need more time to meet that rate.
While Texas is among the states that continues to fall short of that goal, the Valley as a whole had already met it as of June 9, at which point 74% of all Valley residents, aged 16 and older, received at least one dose of a vaccine and 62% were fully vaccinated.
The difference between then and now shows that only 39,251 more individuals have received at least one dose in about a month, reflecting a significant slowdown in vaccinations since the administrations first began.
At the height of vaccinations, providers in Hidalgo County alone administered 70,489 vaccine doses during the week of April 5 through April 11. The number of administrations in the county, the rest of the Valley, and across the state, consistently continued to drop every week since.
Health officials have credited the slowdown to various factors — positing that all the people who had wanted the vaccine already received it or that people have put off obtaining a vaccine because of inconvenience.
Whatever the reason, vaccine doses continue to be administered, though at a slower pace.
Looking at the entire Valley population, more than 61% have received at least one dose and more than 50% have been fully vaccinated. Those eligible to be vaccinated now include everyone 12 years and older.
Statewide, only 48% of the entire population has received at least one dose and just over 41% has been fully vaccinated.
Individually, the Valley counties are also outpacing the state when measuring entire populations. About 58% of the entire Hidalgo County population has received at least one dose and about 50% are fully vaccinated.
In Cameron County, more than 61% of the entire population has received at least one dose and more than 52% has been fully vaccinated.
In Starr County, just over 62% of its population has received at least one dose and nearly 56% has been fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, in Willacy County, more than 51% of its population has received at least one dose and more than 43% has been fully vaccinated.
