Organizations Stress the Importance of In-Person COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Sites

At a COVID-19 vaccination registration site Friday, there was a steady stream of people needing to register.

“It’s near my house, so I said since this is near my house let me go,” said Lenora Harris.

The in-person registration event was held at the Highland Hills Library Branch in the southern part of the city of Dallas, an area where many people face challenges getting registered online or by phone.

“I’m not familiar with all the computer gadgets and I barely do work my phone,” registrant Andrew Perry said.

“Every time we get a number it’s not working or something like that,” registrant Saundra Halton said.

“I don’t have a computer either,” Harris said.

That’s why the in-person registration sites are important.

The Dallas County Democratic Party is taking it a step further. The 'Max the Vax' campaign will target a neighborhood in the southern area of Dallas going door to door registering people.

“Because they don’t have healthcare access in their communities. Because they don’t have reliable internet in their communities. And if we really want this rollout to be successful, we’re going to have to take this to the community,” Dallas County Democratic Party Development Director Joanna Cattanach said.

People living in these areas are glad they’re getting help to make sure they’re on the list and not forgotten.

“I feel that’s what a lot of people need,” Perry said. “It’s a lot of people my age and older that just need this.”

 The in-person registration site at the Highland Hills Library will continue Saturday, Feb. 5 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Beginning Monday, Feb. 8, Dallas College, in conjunction with Dallas County Health and Human Services, is helping individuals who need assistance registering for COVID-19 vaccines. Registration assistance will be offered at Cedar Valley and Mountain View campuses for members of the community who may be having difficulty signing up for vaccine appointments.

For more information on the Dallas College Vaccine Registration Assistance, you can call 214-378-1580.

Through Feb. 18, several vaccine registration events will also be held at a number of schools in the Dallas ISD. See a list here.

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.

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.