Dallas and Tarrant County Leaders Discuss COVID-19 Vaccination Lawsuit and Distribution Changes – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth



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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Just days after group 1B was cleared for vaccines, Tarrant County Public Health says they have to make some changes regarding distribution after long lines developed in Arlington and Fort Worth. .

“We need to make some improvements,” said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. “What happens is that someone will find out that you are administering vaccines on the resource connection, so as a result, everyone just concentrates on the resource connection and will line up, and they will check in while standing there, and I’ll say, ‘well, I signed up!’ “

Since December 23, Tarrant County Public Health has distributed about 5,700 doses: 4,200 were from the December 23 allocation and 1,500 were from the December 30 allocation. But they say, of that number, about 25% were people who weren’t supposed to be there.

They were vaccinated anyway, but let’s say in the future everyone needs to sign up and wait for a call.

“Don’t go out on the site unless someone called you and gave you time to get out,” Whitley said.

The Tarrant County Public Health Registrar can be found here.

The same expectation is being made in Dallas County, as a new registry website for the Department of Health and Human Services went live on Saturday night.

When you sign up, you will be placed on the list to receive an assignment from Dallas County Health and Human Services. DCHHS currently does not have vaccinations, but will receive more next week. Registrants will be notified of next steps as additional vaccines become available. Registration is only for Dallas County residents who are in Phase 1A or Phase 1B.

“If you want the opportunity to get one from DCHHS, you have to register,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

In addition to starting 1B vaccines, many frontline workers in both Dallas and Tarrant County need their second doses soon, but both judges tell CBS 11 News that hospitals and clinics are not holding back any doses.

“I think we are all a little nervous at the moment. Those who took the first round from Pfizer are ready for the next round next week, “said Whitley.

New figures from the Texas Department of State Health Services show that only about 39% of vaccines received by providers have been administered.

But Whitley and Jenkins say those numbers are just wrong.

“There is a very significant lag with the state reporting system, with what is happening on the ground,” Jenkins said.

He says if it gets to a point where the vaccine supply is low and 1A needs its second round, they can take priority.

“We cannot get into a situation where we have a vaccine that saves lives, because now we could have enough in 3 weeks. If the offer is not as big as we expect, it may all have to go to the people who fired in the second round, ”Jenkins said.

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