The first two COVID-19 vaccine sites run by the federal government opened in Dallas and in Arlington on Wednesday and expect to give 3,000 COVID-19 shots a day at each location. NBC 5’s Scott Gordon reports.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Thursday is set to address the state's progress on getting more Texans vaccinated against COVID-19.
An announcement from the governor's office says Abbott's comments come as part of an event in Corpus Christi, where he will commend local efforts to vaccinate senior citizens there.
Abbott's news conference -- scheduled for 10:45 a.m. -- comes a day after a rare statewide address in which he called on leaders to take action to prevent a repeat of the power crisis that devastated the state during winter weather. Widespread power outages also led to significant disruptions in vaccine events and the loss of about 1,000 doses, state health officials said.
Earlier this week, state health officials confirmed 4.5 million doses of the vaccine have been given so far. Imelda García, the state’s associate health commissioner for laboratory and infectious disease services, said that 3.1 million were first doses while 1.4 million were second doses.
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Meanwhile, the first two COVID-19 vaccine sites run by the federal government opened in Dallas and in Arlington on Wednesday. Organizers expect to give 3,000 COVID-19 shots a day at each location.
The Biden administration has said that delivering the vaccine to Americans is a top priority. The Pentagon is ramping up the deployment of what federal authorities say could be up to 100 vaccination teams around the country.
The coronavirus has devastated the United States, killing more than 500,000 Americans. While average daily deaths and new infections have been falling, some experts say too few Americans have been inoculated for the vaccine to be making enough of a difference. The decline instead is attributed to the passing of the holidays, more people staying indoors during the winter and better adherence to mask rules and social distancing.
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.
