Texans don't have to prove they're eligible for the vaccine, and some are jumping the line

Tensions over so-called “line jumpers” are high as Texas scrambles to vaccinate the majority of its 29 million residents, reduce deaths and hospitalizations, and stem the spread of the virus among highly vulnerable communities of color.

Current state guidelines require recipients to be 65 or older, a front-line health care worker, employed as a teacher or child care worker, or medically vulnerable and older than 15. About 4.3 million people in Texas — or roughly 14% of the state’s population — have gotten at least one dose. Between 10 million and 13 million people are eligible for the vaccine under Texas guidelines, said Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Anton said that if a provider has access to a recipient’s medical records — for example if the person is an existing patient — those may be used to verify a person’s medical eligibility, but providers are not allowed, under state health guidelines, to require recipients to prove a medical condition.