Collin County is expecting to receive a large increase in doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from The Department of State Health Services this week and plans to open two more vaccination sites, giving them six total locations where vaccines will be administered.
The DSHS notified county health officials that 42,900 doses of vaccine are coming to Collin County providers to help vaccination efforts, according to an email from Collin County Judge Chris Hill on Friday.
COVID-19 Latest
Hill said the allotment from the state will be the single-largest shipment to the county by the state since the vaccination program started in December 2020.
Two new sites, one at the Sam Johnson Recreation Center (managed by Texas Health Resources' Plano Presbyterian Hospital) and another in Frisco, will open this week and will vaccinate people from the county's waitlist. Officials with Baylor Scott & White Health have notified county officials that they, too, will begin using the county list, making it five locations working from Collin County's vaccine waitlist.
A total of six sites in Collin County will now be administering the vaccine, all are by appointment only and are only for those in groups 1A and 1B. They are:
- Collin County Health Care Services (CCHCS), currently operating at Plano ISD's John Clark Stadium.
- The city of Frisco, which expects to be operating this week at a site to be determined.
- The city of McKinney, currently operating at the McKinney ISD football stadium.
- Texas Health Resources, which will be operating at the Sam Johnson Recreation Center in Plano.
- Baylor Scott & White Health (BSW), currently operating at the BSW facility in Frisco.
- The city of Allen, currently operating at the Allen ISD football stadium (Allen is administering vaccines from their own waitlist -- register here).
The five providers using the Collin County vaccine waitlist are currently serving individuals with numbers up to #8000. Those registered will be contacted from the information on file with the county after their vaccine is available.
With the additional locations, Collin County officials expect to make a significant dent in the vaccine waitlist, which as of Thursday morning topped 200,000 registrations.
Collin County developed a cooperative vaccine partnership with 29 other local jurisdictions earlier this month to create a single vaccine waitlist and to provide vaccinations as efficiently as possible to residents of Collin County and Texas.
Want to Get on a Vaccine Waitlist?
County health departments have launched waitlists for adults 16 years old and over.
You can register to recieve the vaccination in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. Links are below:
Waitlist Links: Collin - Search Waitlist | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant
You do not need to be a resident of the county to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county -- registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without internet access, Tarrant County is also taking registrations by phone at 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS vaccine hotline at 1-855-IMMUNE9 (1-855-466-8639). In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.
For a more detailed breakdown of who is included in each priority group in Texas, see this page from the Texas DSHS.
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.
"On behalf of the entire Collin County Commissioners Court, we are grateful for the amazing efforts of so many people who are working with us to provide vaccines to our community," said Hill.
Hill also said that he's proud of the Collin County Community coming together to help fight off COVID-19.
"I'm proud of our Collin County community that has pulled together to make this possible, especially our healthcare workers, partner agencies, and our legislative delegation. Thank you to Gov. Abbott and all the state officials involved in sending more vaccine doses our way."
COVID-19 Vaccines
In Texas, the COVID-19 vaccines are currently available to anyone over the age of 5. The vaccines are still not approved for children younger than 5 however -- those trials are ongoing.
Once vaccinated, people who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines are expected to get some level of protection within a couple of weeks after the first shot, but full protection may not happen until a couple of weeks after the second shot. For those who receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine -- there is only one shot needed.
As of Jan. 3, 2022, it is also recommended those who are age 12 and up and who have been fully vaccinated receive a booster as early as five months after their last dose, for a total of three shots. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech is the only U.S. option for children of any age.
As for even younger children, kid-size doses for 5- to 11-year-olds rolled out in November and experts said healthy youngsters should be protected after their second dose for a while. But the FDA also said on Jan. 3, 2022, that if children that young have severely weakened immune systems, they will be allowed a third dose 28 days after their second. That’s the same third-dose timing already recommended for immune-compromised teens and adults.
Pfizer and Moderna are studying their vaccines, in even smaller doses, for children younger than 5.
Even when fully vaccinated, it's still possible to become infected by the virus since none of the vaccines offer 100% protection from infection. With that in mind, even if you've been vaccinated it's still a good idea to wear a mask and keep some separation between strangers or those whose vaccination status is unclear.
