Dallas will receive 5,000 first doses of the coronavirus vaccine next week, separate from allocations to the county and other health care providers, the city says.
The city will set up a drive-up, appointment-based distribution site next week at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and pull names registered in the existing Dallas County Health and Humans Services database.
"I am excited and ready to get these highly effective, life-saving vaccines to the public," Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement. "As I have said, the city of Dallas is ready to help the state take its vaccination efforts to the next level. We will do so equitably, efficiently, and without political influence."
The vaccines will be administered by Dallas-Fire Rescue. The city has already handled inoculating 2,000 of its first responders.
The additional vaccines will be delivered amid controversy about equitable distribution in Dallas County and a clash between Johnson and some members of the city council.
Some Dallas City Council managers asked City Manager T.C. Broadnax for support to help register residents of the ZIP codes hardest by COVID-19. Johnson responded with a memo telling Broadnax to "disregard their request."
Thursday night, Mayor Johnson's office issued a press release, announcing his plan for registrations hubs to aid Dallas County efforts, the locations were not immediately avaiable.
Dallas County is also facing a challenge to vaccinate residents by ZIP code. After it announced plans to prioritize the areas most impacted by the virus, the Texas Department of State Health Services said it would not send any more doses of the vaccine to the county if it moved forward with the plan.
In Week 6, there were five COVID-19 vaccine hubs in Dallas County: Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas County Health and Human Services, Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern Medical Center and the city of Garland Health Department.
Texas DSHS said the full list of Week 7 vaccine distribution would be available late Friday.
Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows where COVID-19 vaccines have been sent around the state. Click on a marker to find out information about each location. Use the "plus" and "minus" signs below to zoom in and out of the map.
From the Texas DSHS: Availability of COVID-19 vaccines lilsted on this map are based on shipping information and reporting to the DSHS directly by facilities. Please contact providers in advance to confirm vaccination location and hours, that they have vaccine on hand and that you are eligible for vaccination at that site. Not all providers are vaccinating the public or people in all priority groups. Vaccine is available at no charge, regardless of insurance status.
