After opening at the beginning of February, Denton County prepares to administer its 100,000th vaccine at Texas Motor Speedway on Thursday.
The number of people vaccinated is enough to fill the American Airlines Center five times.
Denton County expected the dose would be administered sometime between 10-10:45 a.m.
The individual to receive that shot will get a greeting and congratulations from Denton County Judge Andy Eads and several members of the Denton County Commissioners Court.
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The location in Denton County started strong with 16 drive-thru lanes and 27,000 vaccines administered in its' first three days.
It continued to administer more than 20,000 shots of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine per week, with the only wait time in the end when individuals had to wait 15 minutes after receiving the shot to ensure they didn't have an allergic reaction.
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.
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Individuals will be required to register through the Denton County registration portal. You do not need to be a Denton County resident to register to receive the vaccine in Denton County.
In addition, the county is calling for volunteers for future vaccination sites. Those interesting in volunteering will need to undergo a background check and complete a one-hour training course at https://www.dentoncounty.gov/758/Medical-Reserve-Corps.
The vaccine is currently only being administered to those who are part of Phase 1A and 1B, as outlined by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Those in Phase 1A are front-line healthcare workers or residents of long-term care facilities. Phase 1B includes those who are over the age of 65, or those over the age of 16 with a chronic medical condition that puts them at risk for severe illness.
On March 3, vaccine availability was expanded to include school and child care workers.
Once vaccinated, people 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. Even when fully vaccinated, it's still possible to become infected by the virus since the vaccine does not offer 100% protection.
The Texas DSHS advises that the vaccine will not be readily available for the general public until late spring or early summer 2021.
