DSHS Survey to Inform Legislative Policy on COVID-19 Vaccines in Texas
By Amy Lynn Sorrel

As part of a 2021 legislative mandate, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is funding a survey to collect feedback from physicians and health care professionals regarding access to COVID-19 vaccines.  

The COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Confidence (COVHAC) Survey: A Rapid Community Assessment in Texas, is open until Nov. 15. It is being conducted by The University of Texas (UT) at Tyler Health Science Center in collaboration with the UTHealth Science Center at Houston.   

Researchers say the information captured in the questionnaire “will be used in a report to the Texas Legislature as mandated by Rider 33, in addition to informing future programming and policy with the overall goal of increasing trust of and access to the COVID-19 vaccine in Texas.”  

Physicians interested in taking the roughly 10-minute, anonymous survey can do so online.  

Any questions related to the survey may be directed to the UT research team.  

More information about the legislative directive can be found on page 146 of a May 2021 report, which states DSHS must report back to the legislature by Dec. 31 on “any disparities in the distribution of or access to COVID-19 immunizations and vaccine hesitancy rates in this state” and “recommendations for making the distribution of and access to COVID-19 immunizations more equitable in this state.” 

Last Updated On

November 01, 2022

Originally Published On

October 14, 2022

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Immunization | Texas legislation

Amy Lynn Sorrel

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(512) 370-1384
Amy Sorrel

Amy Lynn Sorrel has covered health care policy for nearly 20 years. She got her start in Chicago after earning her master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and went on to cover health care as an award-winning writer for the American Medical Association, and as an associate editor and managing editor at TMA. Amy is also passionate about health in general as a cancer survivor, avid athlete, traveler, and cook. She grew up in California and now lives in Austin with her Aggie husband and daughter.

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