How Arlington officials are preparing for first rounds of COVID vaccine distribution
A room in Esports Stadium Arlington has been repurposed into a coronavirus vaccine distribution center as city officials wait for doses to arrive.
The Texas State Health Services Department allotted the Arlington Fire Department 3,000 cases of the Moderna vaccine. Officials said Wednesday morning they expect to receive the shipment by Monday, but do not have an exact shipment date.
Officials wanted to make sure their facilities were set up beforehand, said Gerald Randall, assistant fire chief.
“The simple fact of the matter is if we receive the vaccine this afternoon, we’re vaccinating tomorrow morning,” he said.
The fire department joins a slate of Arlington hospitals, pharmacies and medical service providers expected to receive the vaccine during the second week of statewide distribution.
“This is the first step towards helping protecting them and eventually helping our entire community,” said Dr. Cynthia Simmons, the city’s public health authority.
A combined 620,000 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are scheduled for distribution by Monday for health care workers, according to the Department of State Health Services. The Moderna vaccine can be shipped in larger quantities and stored for longer at regular refrigerator temperatures.
Workers eligible to receive the vaccine from Arlington’s distribution site will receive preregistration documents from their agencies. An emailed bar code, mask and ID are required entry for the center.
Randall said the city hopes to distribute the 3,000 vaccines in three to four days. The center can vaccinate 100 people per hour, he added, and will stay open for “however long” necessary to use all vaccines.
The city’s convention center at 1200 Ballpark Way will be open for as long as necessary, Randall said. Officials have drafted tentative plans to expand to drive-thru vaccinations or open additional sites as more vaccines are available from the state.
This story was originally published December 23, 2020 at 2:53 PM.
