Why Dallas County Delayed its COVID Vaccination at Fair Park

When Margaret Thompson drove her 88-year-old mother to get her second COVID-19 shot at the Fairfield vaccination home in Dallas County, she expected to be in and out pretty quickly.

For the first shot, they were barely half an hour at the South Dallas Center, “including the 15-minute wait,” Thompson said.

On Tuesday they arrive around 13:30, but wait another 2 hours later in the queue.

Thompson said they did not know what to expect when they came in for the second shot – but “it was not this.”

Dallas County was supposed to introduce its vaccine run-through on Tuesday, but myriad problems not only delayed its opening, but also caused a long day of waiting. Contributing factors – according to Dallas Judge Clay Jenkins – were a temporary shortage of doses, colder than expected weather and lacking generators needed to adequately store the vaccine, which requires a stable temperature after thawing.

A rush of residents seeking their boost shots this week before the cold weather begins and a new round of unauthorized appointments have also caused bottlenecks.

The site is expected to open Wednesday at 12 p.m., but cold weather forecast for the rest of this week could hamper vaccination efforts at Fair Park and in North Texas.

The icy temperature has already forced at least one supplier in a neighboring province to suspend operations later this week. Denton County announced it would close its Texas Motor Speedway yard, which operates as usual Tuesday, in Fort Worth on Thursday.

Ongoing problems

It was supposed to be the week that the Fair Park site in Dallas County came up with everything.

The website was launched a month ago this week, but it has struggled from the start: technical bugs with the registration website, mixed messages on how to discuss appointments and political strife over who should be vaccinated and in what order.

As the site faces its biggest week yet – an expected first and second dose of 21,000 – it has encountered a new set of problems.

Early on Tuesday, it became clear to the staff of the center that generators needed equipment at the drive-through tents of vaccines – located far from any electrical outlet – had not arrived there. Of paramount importance to Dallas County officials: regulating the temperature of the vaccine. It was still unclear on Tuesday night why the power sources did not show up.

After nixing plans to open its extensive driveway, Dallas County residents shuffled to the Tower Building using the existing vaccination setup. The province did have a limited drive-through option.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, representing southern Dallas County, was upset about another round of problems.

“It has nothing to do with the weather,” he said Tuesday. “The prediction is the same. This is called incompetence. ”

Chris Van Deusen, spokesman for the state health department, acknowledged confusion across the entire supply chain in the country, especially amid recent changes made by the federal government. Both the state and local suppliers must order doses. But these deliveries can be confusing, which can create a short gap.

Van Deusen said the state is monitoring 400,000 doses that had to be delivered to hubs in Texas on Tuesday, including 9,000 to the Fair Park site in Dallas County.

“Every day we get a little better,” he said.

Winter weather

There is no hope of light weather during the next week, and vaccine managers are already making changes.

This week’s highs are expected to be in the thirties, with lows in the twenties. And by the weekend, lows in the teens could drop. When the teens are low, a light breeze is enough to make them feel like the temperature is in the single digits.

Jenkins said he would not hesitate to close the Fair Park site if conditions make it dangerous for residents to drive or volunteers to move there.

“We’re in Texas, so we’m not going to have too many days,” he said. “We can catch up if we have to procrastinate.”

The City of Dallas Moves Its Check-In Station at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center from an open parking lot to a shelter. On Tuesday, there were a few short delays while people waited to get a vaccine.

The drive-by vaccines at the Parkland Health & Hospital system at Ellis Davis Field House and Eastfield College were prepared to proceed as expected. However, the sites will close if the wind cold drops below 20 degrees, a spokesman said.

Denton County, which last week organized one of the largest vaccination efforts in the country, decided to close its center on Thursday in anticipation of the severe winter weather. No officials were planned, officials said. The operations must resume on Friday afternoon.

Texans awaiting their second shot should expect additional information from the country.

“While we know our community members are eager to be vaccinated, the health and safety of participants, staff and volunteers is paramount,” Matt Richardson, Denton County Health Director, said in a statement. “We hope the weather on Friday will be more collaborative for a safe, effective and efficient vaccination clinic.”

A Collin County spokesman said in an email that his hub operator “absolutely intends to move on.”

Tarrant County officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Staff Writers Jesus Jimenez, Everton Bailey Jr. and Charles Scudder contributed to this report.