Dallas County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to give preference to vaccinating residents in zip codes that appear to be most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. But leaders withdrew from the plan a day later, after the state threatened to reduce the city’s vaccine supply, saying the plan “does not meet the previously agreed guidelines.”
The plan outlined would have preceded certain postal codes for the distribution of vaccines at the Fair Park Distribution Center. The province would still have followed the level system set up by the state that determined which groups would be eligible for the vaccine – but within those groups, residents of the zip codes would be given preference.
The commissioners said during Tuesday’s meeting that prioritization would vaccinate all efforts to help people in the vulnerable areas every open day in the province’s online appointment system. After making a ‘good faith effort’ for it, people from other areas were able to make appointments.
‘You will always have a little [of appointments] for the rest of Dallas County, “said Commissioner JJ Koch. We do not exclude them. ”
An information document states that the plan would stipulate that “the distribution of vaccines in Dallas County should begin with priority zip codes and go to the rest of the province if the offer allows,” adding: “When you go to the next level distribution, the distribution should only start with priority postal codes and do not include the whole province, unless there is a large supply. ‘
Tom Fox / AP
The province said the postal codes listed by research firm PCCI were prioritized as a high score on the ‘vulnerability index’. According to PCCI, the index evaluates factors, including the incidence of comorbidities, the ability to social distance and socio-economic status. According to the Dallas interactive database, most zip codes they plan to prioritize have some of the highest number of new cases in the state in the past two weeks.
Because the zip codes selected for prioritization are based on this system, commissioners in support of the move agreed that the preferred areas may change as the data shifts.
The zip codes consist mainly of black and Latino individuals, who according to the CDC are more susceptible to contracts, are admitted to hospital and die due to the disease.
Of the 79,010 living in zip code 75211, 71,800 are black, Hispanic or Latino, according to the database, and more than 6,300 people are 65 or older.
According to a briefing from the commissioner’s court, the Texas Department of Health Services notified the commission in writing Wednesday that the order “does not meet the previously agreed guidelines.”
CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported that the state warned in the letter that the plan “conflicts with the stated goals of the DSHS and the state of Texas that vaccine be distributed as widely and fairly as possible in communities across the state.”
Dr. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said during an emergency commission meeting Wednesday that if the province did not revoke the plan by 8 a.m. Thursday, the state said they would no longer receive their scheduled vaccinations. .
“There are 9,000 doses for next week for us, and if they do not hear that we have solved it, they will definitely reduce our dose, or I think we will cancel the dose,” he said.
The commissioners voted Wednesday to repeal the plan.
“We just have to do what they ask us to do,” Dallas judge Clay Jenkins said. “Cancel the order. We can return it another day.”
But Commissioner JJ Koch criticized Jenkins during the meeting, saying he was “unobstructed” with the state when he informed him of Dallas’ vaccination plan. Jenkins sent a letter to the state about the commission’s priority plans, CBS Dallas-Fort Worth reported.
“You made it clear to the state that we were completely closing people who were not in the zip codes. That is not the case,” Koch said, adding that other people should and could get the vaccines as well.
According to CBS subsidiary KYTX, last week the country only allowed residents aged 75 and older to be vaccinated. Koch spoke out against the choice during Tuesday’s meeting, arguing that the province’s current priorities exclude minority residents.
“Those over 75, those who have achieved this so far in life, are richer and whiter. They tend to live in those who live in single-family homes, have enough wealth and the ability to properly separate themselves from other people. than not getting the disease, “Koch said.” We are missing out on those 65-75 [age range], [where] there are an awful lot of those who are Latino, African Americans, who are still in the workforce, in family housing with many generations … and not in a position where they can separate themselves from many other people. “
“We’ve put people ahead of a number without really looking at who the individuals in our geography are,” he said.
Chris Van Deusen, director of media relations at the Texas Department of State Health Services, told CBS News that vaccination center providers are expected to “ensure they vaccinate people in the areas and populations hardest hit, but they can not do it, to the exclusion of literally everyone else. ‘
“In exchange for receiving an increased and consistent amount of vaccine, all providers of the center have agreed to vaccinate people regardless of where they live, including from surrounding provinces. The goal of being a hub is to vaccine to wide communities, “Van Deusen said. said. “[Dallas County Commissioners Court] some may use their vaccine to target specific groups or areas, but they may not be able to do so with everything and remain a hub provider. ‘