City of McKinney Closes Operations at Vaccine Hub on Friday

The City of McKinney is phasing out operations at their vaccination hub after administering more than 56,000 shots since late December.

This comes after a March 15 announcement that the city intended to stop operations at the McKinney ISD Stadium and Community Event Center by the end of April. 

The McKinney Fire Department began administering vaccines at the hub on Dec. 23 when doses were in short supply, the city said.

On the first day of operating the hub, 67 vaccinations were provided. On the final day, April 23, 1,018 doses were provided by noon.

According to the City of McKinney, a total of 56,206 shots were administered at the vaccine hub while it was open.

"We created the vaccine hub in December to assist the State in getting vaccinations out as efficiently and quickly as possible," Mayor George Fuller said. "More than 56,000 shots have been administered, but what I'm most proud of is the immense care and dedication by our staff and volunteers to make sure that the most vulnerable in our community were provided the opportunity to be served as well. Now it's time to let employees return to their normal duties, give our volunteers a much-deserved break, and let private health care providers like physicians, hospitals, and pharmacies take over the public vaccination efforts."

The City of McKinney administered vaccines at the hub through a partnership with Collin County, McKinney ISD, Baylor Scott and White Medical Center McKinney, Medical City McKinney, Collin College, and Grayson College.

City staff, including those in the Fire and Police Departments, the Office of Emergency Management, Housing and Community Development, Communications and Marketing, Information Technology, Public Works, and multiple volunteers across all city departments also provided support for the hub and the city's Covid-19 hotline, the city said.

"As first responders, we are trained to jump into action to save lives," Fire Chief Danny Kistner said. "It has been an honor and a privilege to fight back against Covid-19 by vaccinating the public. Everyone can contribute to the fight by getting vaccinated when their turn comes and continuing to follow all recommended public safety measures, including mask-wearing, maintaining social distancing, and routinely washing your hands. Thank you to everyone for working alongside us. We are stronger together."

The city also said volunteers from its Citizen Corp partners, including the Citizen's Fire Academy Alumni Association and Community Emergency Response Team, aided in vaccination efforts.

Residents looking for vaccine providers can visit the Collin County Health Care Services website and the DSHS vaccine website that lists large vaccination hubs, a vaccine availability map, and a list of all providers