Tarrant will expand COVID-19 vaccinations after deal with UNT Health Science Center
Tarrant County will have more COVID-19 vaccination sites after officials reached an agreement with UNT Health Science Center on Tuesday.
Under the agreement, the Health Science Center will independently staff and manage new vaccination sites. UNTHSC officials will be responsible for programs that educate, register and vaccinate those in minority neighborhoods and areas with low vaccination rates.
UNTHSC officials will begin scouting potential vaccination sites, buy protective equipment and set salaries for personnel involved, the contract shows. The county and UNT Health Science Center did not know how many people would be hired or how much they would be paid.
The contract will run through Sept. 30. The county will pay $2.5 for UNTHSC officials to begin their work; the cost could reach $25 million.
This partnership does not mean Tarrant County Public Health will stop operating its own sites.
“Today’s agreement with Tarrant County continues the partnership as we work together to develop and implement a comprehensive COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy,” a UNTHSC spokesperson said in a statement.
The commissioners have heard complaints that the vaccine has not reached those living in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. They will look to UNTHSC to help fix that issue. Of those who have received a vaccination, 6% are Black and 6% are Hispanic or Latino.
This agreement comes after the county first agreed on Feb. 2 that two doctors and a high-ranking official from UNT would allocate a total of about 32 hours a week to consult the county. Commissioner Roy Brooks pointed out at the time that the county did not want consultants. Instead, the commissioners wanted UNTHSC to take over vaccination efforts.
UNTHSC officials first presented their vaccination plan on Jan. 19 with the idea to expand vaccination sites through drive-thrus, schools, churches and targeting minority communities. But there were no specifics about the plan during the public meeting.
When asked what changed in the last week, County Judge Glen Whitley said it was just a matter of getting on the same page with UNTHSC officials.
Last week Whitley said that without a deal he feared Tarrant County would not be able to handle vaccine distribution if supplies increase.
On Monday, TCU announced it has partnered with Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth and Tarrant County Public Health to establish a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site at Amon G. Carter Stadium parking lots. The site will open Feb. 13.
Fort Worth school officials were scheduled to discuss a plan Tuesday to allow Tarrant County to establish drive-thru COVID vaccination sites near Billingsley Field House and Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center.
People can now also register for the vaccine through Walmart or Sam’s Club once appointments become available, the company announced Tuesday. Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will begin administering vaccines on Friday.
There will be locations in Fort Worth and Dallas.
Vaccinations will be open to anyone under Texas’ 1a group (front-line health care workers or those living or working at long-term care facilities) or 1b group (those 65 or older or those with health conditions).
