Long lines, confusion have plagued Tarrant COVID-19 vaccinations. Here’s how to fix it

Tarrant County commissioners reached a rare level of animation and frustration Tuesday as they interrogated public health director Vinny Taneja about distribution of the coronavirus vaccine.

They teed off on problems over registration, appointments, plans for outreach and providing more locations for shots. But what irked County Judge Glen Whitley most were the long lines of people, many elderly and vulnerable, waiting in the elements for their shots.

“It’s got to stop,” he said. Lines are “not going to be outside if they’re in Tarrant County.” The problems so far include an initially balky sign-up process, confusion over appointments, imperfect attempts at prioritization and people hopping into the queue without necessarily being qualified for this stage of immunization. And yes, the infernal lines.

County officials could have had a better plan, especially if there had been better guidance from the federal and state governments. Poor leadership at the highest levels has plagued each phase of the coronavirus response, and invariably, it takes trial-and-error to get a massive effort such as vaccination of an entire population off the ground.

And there’s a long way to go. What’s important now is how to quickly ramp up the effort and make the entire process as efficient as possible. Here are the priorities the county should follow to speed and streamline vaccinations:

Get needles into arms

If you think things are bad here, take a look at the mess brewing in places such as New York. Officials there are slicing and dicing who gets the vaccine in what order so fine that they’re not injecting many people overall. Hospitals have been put in a tough spot by contradicting orders to vaccinate only healthcare workers and use up allocated vaccines within seven days. So, some hospital employees distant from up-front COVID-19 care have been vaccinated, sparking outrage.

Generally, Texas got it right by putting front-line healthcare workers and care-facility residents in the first group eligible for the vaccine and those 65 and older or with dangerous health conditions in the second. We’ve argued that in the initial stages of vaccination, it’s important to strike a balance between essentialness and vulnerability to the worst effects of COVID-19.

But the vaccine is a scarce commodity that’s complicated to distribute. The biggest tragedy of all would be for doses to go to waste. The faster people are vaccinated, the sooner the pandemic will slow.

The county is operating on an honor system regarding co-morbidity conditions. We urge healthier residents to hold off so we can save lives among the elderly and vulnerable. But when in doubt, give out shots as quickly as possible. Don’t let a single vial go to waste.

Make things easier for the elderly

Whitley, a Hurst Republican, is right that many elderly residents will struggle to stand in a long line, especially in the winter. Taneja said county workers and volunteers were trying to screen those showing up with appointments at the Tarrant County Resource Connection in southeast Fort Worth and get disabled people into a faster-moving priority line.

That’s good, but it’s not enough. There must be large-capacity indoor facilities where people can wait. They must be big enough to allow for social distancing, and good air circulation is a factor.

Vaccination must be available in enough places that lines aren’t as much of an issue. Perhaps an express location, with chairs for indoor waiting, could be created for only those over a certain age.

Reach the underserved

Commissioners rightly expressed dismay about how few black and Hispanic people have received the vaccine. It follows the shameful and frustrating long-term reality that across the U.S. and particularly in Tarrant County, minority groups lag in access to healthcare.

The county must engage in a massive outreach and communication effort, perhaps unprecedented in its history. Having a website or phone number and publicizing those through usual channels is not enough. It’s time for creativity.

How about a reverse calling system to connect with those who don’t live online or regularly consume news? Reach out to every church leader, especially in communities without adequate health resources. Ask marketing experts to come up with ideas that go well beyond news releases and social media. Consider enlisting volunteers to go door to door in neighborhoods with low response rates.

Expand vaccination sites

Much of the Commissioners Court discussion centered on the limitations of the resource center. But commissioners balked, rightly, at closing it in favor of the Hurst Convention Center, citing a lack of public transportation and the relatively remote location. Any single facility is going to be too distant for many residents. We need several, scattered around the sprawling county.

Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks noted that while the county’s vaccine supply is limited, it will grow over weeks.

“We need to use that period of time … to gear up to vaccinate everybody in Tarrant County,” the Fort Worth Democrat said. “We need, in effect, a place to get a shot on just about every corner of our community, certainly in every neighborhood in our community.”

He suggested greatly expanding the options to include just about any government facility, including libraries and community centers, involving churches and creating mobile vaccination vehicles. The county’s JPS Health Network is providing shots at a handful of its clinics, too.

The pace of coronavirus vaccination must pick up rapidly, across America and in Tarrant County. It’s a herculean task, but problems can be anticipated and addressed. Commissioners should continue to hold officials accountable, but they must provide flexibility and resources, too.

And we can all do our part by being patient, following instructions, getting vaccinated as soon as possible and looking out for our neighbors.