Dallas County changes access to the COVID vaccine – again. The goal is to reach the most vulnerable neighborhoods

The Dallas County Health Department will begin prioritizing residents in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods for the COVID-19 vaccine in Fair Park after the first limited data showed that many vaccines were going to residents in northern communities.

In a split vote, commissioners changed the county’s efforts to vaccinate anyone who meets the state’s broader criteria – as long as they are registered to get the vaccine with the county and live in one of the ten zip codes identified on Tuesday. Previously, the county focused on vaccinating residents 75 and older.

Postcodes are wholly or partially below Interstate 30 – which for decades divided the county by race and wealth. They were selected because they rank highly in the county’s coronavirus vulnerability index, which tracks the likelihood of a resident contracting COVID, or because of long-standing health inequities identified in a report released by the county health and hospital system and Parkland last year.

The shift in county vaccination priorities was sponsored by Commissioner JJ Koch, a Republican who represents northern Dallas County. It is the latest redesign of the county’s vaccination effort at Fair Park, which began on January 11.

The decision was made after Dallas County released vaccination data divided by zip code, which showed that most vaccines went to residents of white, affluent neighborhoods like Preston Hollow. The data does not include specific demographic data, such as race, sex and age.

Although Koch said he hoped his request would make the process simpler, he will certainly inject more uncertainty into an already chaotic vaccination program, which has been blocked by confusing messages and impromptu changes. The move also effectively eliminates residents of most county counties, who are donating staff to help administer the vaccine site.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who previously criticized the county’s handling of the vaccination site, declined to comment on Tuesday.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who abstained from the 3-1 vote, said he anticipated that the county next week would begin offering nominations to 27,000 residents of these registered zip codes for a vaccine. Assuming the county does not see a dramatic increase in state vaccines or additional residents in these neighborhoods register for consultations, it will take at least a month to inoculate them, said Jenkins.

The state is making vaccines available to any doctor or nurse in close contact with COVID-19 patients, other health professionals and Texans aged 65 or over, or anyone with a serious health problem, such as cancer, diabetes or kidney disease.

Thousands of residents have already made appointments or received an invitation to do so according to the existing criteria for this week and the next. And during the debate, Jenkins suggested that the new request could violate the county’s state contract, which requires the site to vaccinate any Texas resident.

The state health department did not return a request for comment.

Commissioner Elba Garcia, a Democrat who represents Dallas County, voted against the proposed change, saying she trusted the health department to find the fairest combination of residents to receive the injection.

“I don’t want to limit what the department can do,” she said.

The county must honor its existing nominations and invitations, Koch said in an interview after the meeting. He also suggested that Parkland and UT Southwestern Medical Center could vaccinate other populations in high need. And he signaled an immediate opening to change the county’s prioritization – as long as all five members of the commissioner’s court had a chance to voice their opinion.

“What I presented was brutally simple,” said Koch. “It will be inadequate in a short time. The changes will have to be worked out, but they will be worked out with the five county commissioners – not just the county judge. “

Since the vaccines were approved by the federal government at the end of last year, Koch discussed with Jenkins about how to prioritize limited supply. He previously suggested that the county should focus on essential workers, such as supermarket clerks. Blacks and Latinos who live in poor neighborhoods are more likely to work in these blue collar jobs and are susceptible to the worst symptoms of COVID.

Since the coronavirus pandemic struck northern Texas, Koch and other commissioners have expressed indignation at Jenkins acting unilaterally. As a county judge, Jenkins has broad authority in emergency cases. Last spring, the commissioners limited some of Jenkins’ power.

Tuesday’s debate echoed that frustration.

“At the moment, what happened last week is not ours,” Koch told Jenkins during one of the court’s most frantic exchanges in months. “And we need to take responsibility after what happened.”

The scene in Fair Park during its inaugural week quickly got out of hand, officials acknowledged. First, residents who did not meet the county’s initial criteria of age 75 or older made reservations for the vaccine using an unauthorized link to the registration system. After discovering the flaw, Jenkins and his team decided to open the site to anyone over 75, regardless of an appointment.

In an effort to increase the number of blacks and Latinos who would be vaccinated during the first week, Jenkins and the county team quietly contacted religious leaders, state lawmakers and others with ties to these communities. The news that an appointment was no longer needed in Fair Park spread quickly on social media, thwarting Jenkins’ plan to correct the course.

The Fair Park location was initially selected in an effort to ensure that blacks and Latinos who live in southern neighborhoods with limited access to pharmacies, supermarkets and health clinics have a chance to receive the vaccine.

Before Tuesday’s vote, the county was set to expand access to the vaccine to anyone over 65 with a serious medical condition.

Dr. Philip Huang, county health director, told the commissioners that his team was evaluating race and ethnicity invitations, as well as geography. The postal codes that Koch’s request now highlights were already being overstated by the county in its most recent invitations, Huang said.

“I want to vaccinate everyone, but we have to make some decisions,” said Huang, defending the county’s decision to initially vaccinate only 75 or older. “And we want to have the biggest impacts.”

Commissioner John Wiley Price, a Democrat who represents southern Dallas, said that as long as the county focuses on people aged 75 and older, black residents will be left behind.

“We are not reaching 75,” said Price, referring to the lower life expectancy of blacks.