Dallas County’s first ‘mega’ public COVID vaccination site to be at Fair Park

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Dallas County is set to launch its first “ mega ” public COVID-19 vaccination site in Fair Park next week, where thousands of people a day can be vaccinated against the deadly virus that is fueling the pandemic, officials said Thursday.

If the county receives the state’s doses on time, the goal is to vaccinate those who do not have regular access to a doctor. from Monday. The shots will be administered at the Tower Building and an adjacent facility by appointment only.

Parkland Health & Hospital System is also expected to provide vaccinations next week at its campus in the city’s medical district, as well as at two public coronavirus testing sites: Ellis Davis Field House and Dallas College Eastfield Campus.

Vaccinations will only be done by appointment at the four sites.

People can register online for the COVID-19 vaccine at any location. Young family members and those with Internet access can help those who need help registering, officials said. More than 50,000 people signed up within 48 hours of Dallas County launching the site on Saturday.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Fair Park was ultimately selected for the county’s first “mega” vaccination site because of its location and the large interior space that will allow vaccinated people to be monitored at home. a safe distance after their shot. The city of Dallas is also partnering with the county on this effort.

The county’s efforts to start vaccinating thousands of people come as frustration has grown over a slower-than-expected and confusing rollout. The state said Thursday it was also moving to larger vendors rather than smaller pharmacies to provide the public with “identifiable sites where vaccination takes place and an easier way to sign up for an appointment. you with each supplier ”.

While the vaccines will be available to anyone in Dallas County, the site, in part, is planned for southern Dallas to improve access to residents who may have difficulty obtaining them elsewhere.

South Dallas is home to many of the county’s most vulnerable communities. Residents who live below Interstate 30 are more likely to be black and Latino, jobs that cannot be done from home and live with multiple generations, a powerful combination that makes them ripe for the most severe cases of COVID.

Many southern Dallas neighborhoods lack large grocery and drugstore chains, which will play an outsized role in distributing the vaccine to most healthy people later this year. Residents of southern Dallas County face a long list of other vaccine barriers, such as insufficient technology to register for the vaccine and transportation to inoculation sites. There is also a deep historical mistrust between black people and the healthcare communities.

This won’t be the first time Fair Park has been used during the pandemic. It has been the site of several major food gifts.

The sprawling fairground was selected after county officials examined several locations in South Dallas, including the University of North Texas at Dallas and the Forester Sports Complex.

The federal government approved COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use in December. According to the Texas Department of Health, the Lone Star State has shipped about 1.3 million doses.

In view of the limited supply of vaccines, the federal and state governments created a tiered system to immunize different populations, prioritizing health workers and elderly residents of long-term care facilities.

Texans over 65 who have serious medical conditions such as heart problems, cancer, and diabetes are also eligible to receive the vaccine according to state guidelines.

Most healthy Texans should expect to be eligible for the vaccine later this year.

Jenkins said earlier this week that he expected the state to provide the county with 2,000 shots a day. He hopes to dramatically increase the number of vaccines – and sites – throughout the winter.

“We will be getting more and more vaccines,” he says. “We’re going to need more and more locations.”