Texas state health officials have notified Hidalgo County that five local hospitals will receive 11,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as part of its initial allotment once federal officials approve a vaccine. The earliest the Food and Drug Administration can give such approval is December 10 during a scheduled meeting to review vaccine applications. There are as many as 7,000 front-line health care workers in Hidalgo County and they are slotted to be the first to receive the vaccine under state guidelines. Next are first responders and health care workers employed in long-term care facilities. “We are approaching a critical new phase of ...