COVID-19 vaccine available to Texans over 16

Everyone in Texas over the age of 16 will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine beginning next week, according to The Texas Tribune.

The Texas Department of State Health Services made the announcement Tuesday. The state will still prioritize people over the age of 80, as well as walk-ins from that age group.

Health experts also said that around 70% to 90% of Texans need to be vaccinated for the state to reach herd immunity.

Of the vaccines, the one available for ages 16 and up is the two-dose Pfizer vaccine. All other vaccinations are open for anyone over the age of 18.

10 killed in Boulder grocery store shooting

The shooter in the Colorado mass shooting has been identified as a 21-year old man, according to USA Today.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa of Arvada, Colorado is facing murder charges after killing 10 people in a grocery story yesterday. The list of victims can be found here.

This was the U.S.’s second mass shooting in just one week, according to USA Today. The shooting began around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, and an AR-15 was used.

“Today our city is grieving the senseless loss of 10 lives in our community. A man with a gun monstrously struck them down,” Mayor Sam Weaver said.

Virtual medicine on the rise

Medical students across the nation are adjusting to the loss of hands-on curriculum amid the pandemic, according to The New York Times.

Of the nation’s 155 schools of medicine, the majority of them transferred their curriculum to virtual learning. Some still have not yet shifted back to in-person learning.

This includes what many call the “rite of passage” in medicine: dissecting a cadaver.

In an attempt to keep things as close to normal as possible, the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine had faculty wear body cameras while dissecting so students could watch live.

Despite this being out of the ordinary for medical school, applications are up 18% compared to last year.