New COVID-19 Vaccine Site Opens Thursday at Methodist Dallas

A new effort to expand COVID-19 vaccination distribution in Dallas begins Thursday with thousands of doses being administered at Methodist Hospital.

Methodist Dallas Medical Center was the first location in North Texas to give COVID-19 vaccines for health care workers. Thursday, that effort transitions to the general public receiving doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at the hospital's main Oak Cliff location.

Appointments are mandatory and only for eligible people in the 1A and 1B categories -- the hospital was expected to contact 3,000 people from the Dallas County Registration list by phone for appointments split between Thursday and Friday.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday morning, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said it appeared the process of getting a vaccine at the hospital will take less than an hour -- about 20 minutes to get the vaccine and an additional 15-minute observation period.

A new effort to expand COVID-19 vaccination distribution in Dallas begins Thursday with thousands of doses being administered at Methodist Hospital. Speaking at a news conference Thursday morning, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said it appeared the process of getting a vaccine at the hospital will take less than an hour — about 20 minutes to get the vaccine and an...

The city's partnership with Methodist Health System was announced Monday after extreme delays and hundreds of people with valid invitations were turned away from vaccinations Saturday at the Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Johnson blamed a combination of ineffective city confirmation procedures and thousands of uninvited guests trying to get vaccines Saturday, along with an extremely ambitious plan to administer more than 2,000 doses in a single day.

NBC 5’s Larry Collins has a breakdown of the new push to get more people vaccinated in Dallas and the latest from Denton County, where health officials say they have detected their first case of the COVID-19 variant that was first discovered in the United KIngdom.

Johnson apologized, saying “we’re doing the best we can and we’re committed to trying to improve this process.”

If you would like to register to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in Dallas County, click here for more information.

President and Chief Operating Officer Pam Stayanoff said Methodist applied to the state to become a Texas vaccine hub, but for now, it will share the supply allotted to the city of Dallas.

On Wednesday, Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 1,356 new COVID-19 cases and a record number of 50 reported deaths.

On Tuesday, county officials said they planned to transition the Fair Park hub to a drive-through model that can administer up to 12,000 doses of the vaccine per day.

The Texas DSHS has said the vaccine will not be readily available for the general public until late spring or early summer 2021.

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.