A loophole that allows people to register other people’s COVID-19 vaccine nomination link generated long lines and frustration outside Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Saturday, as many were turned down without a valid nomination.
City officials said they hoped to administer about 2,300 vaccines to people on Saturday, while the city works to vaccinate people outside of Dallas County’s waiting list.
Several people said they waited up to six hours in line to be rejected when they arrived at the convention center entrance.
Kathy Vickers said that she and her mother were refused after being told that her consultation was not valid.
Problems with people who receive a consultation link and forward it to friends and family have plagued the vaccination process in Dallas County, and now in the city of Dallas.
Vickers said he didn’t realize he had done something wrong.
“Although I filled out a form and received an email saying I was ready to go, I had everything they asked for and yet they said we were not in the system and they rejected me,” said Vickers. “They put a big zero on my window up here.”
In a written statement on Sunday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson acknowledged the link sharing problem and said he was “frustrated by the long delays and confusion” at the vaccination center on Saturday.
“We also knew that we would have some challenges, especially since the very limited supply created a huge pent-up demand that no one is able to meet now,” Johnson said in the statement. “But we are responsible for our problems and we are working hard to resolve them. I heard many of the people affected yesterday and I want to tell them that we are sorry and we will do better ”.
In his statement, Johnson said Saturday’s process was a “different operation” from the first two days, which he said was “reasonably well”.
Tristan Hallman, the mayor’s chief of policy and communications, said they started hearing about the long waiting times in the late afternoon. Johnson had visited the vaccination center on Saturday morning with Congressman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
“While we were there, we could see that the hub was more crowded than in previous days, but they were also trying to get twice as many people through,” said Hallman.
To try to resolve some of the problems, Hallman said the city would begin the vaccination process on Tuesday, two days before this week. The city has allocated another 4,875 doses of the vaccine for the next week.
He said the city is also working with Dallas County on the issue of link sharing, which the county has also encountered. County Judge Clay Jenkins announced a new QR code system on Thursday to help solve the nomination problem.
Want to get on a vaccine waiting list?
As the state begins to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to those in Phases 1A and 1B, county health departments have started making waiting lists for those who wish to be inoculated.
You can now register to receive vaccinations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties. The links are below:
Waiting list links: Collin – Research Waiting List | Dallas | Denton | Tarrant
You don’t have to be a county resident to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in that county – registration is open to anyone in Texas. For those without Internet access, Tarrant County is also accepting applications by calling 817-248-6299. In Dallas County, call the DCHHS vaccine hotline at 469-749-9900. In Denton County, call 940-349-2585.
The city’s spokeswoman, Roxana Rubio, said that 30% of people who arrived at the drive-thru on Saturday were refused because they registered with a forwarded link, found the link in another way instead of direct city communication or not. found eligibility criteria to be vaccinated.
Rubio emphasized that as soon as people register on the Dallas County waiting list, they will be notified directly by the city if they have an appointment to get the vaccine.
If they manage to schedule otherwise, they will not be able to receive the vaccine, said Rubio.
Rubio said that a small number of people with valid consultations were refused on Saturday night after the city ran out of vaccines. A final figure on affected people would not be available until Sunday, she said.
The city said that people with valid commitments that were refused would be contacted to receive a priority commitment with the next allocation.
Just before 8 pm on Saturday, Janice Wagner waited outside the center in her vehicle, unsure whether she would get a vaccine.
“I don’t know how much longer we are going to stay here,” said Wagner. “This is very confusing.”
Martha Pickett shared photos from the beginning of her journey around 1:30 pm until she finally received the vaccine at 7:00 pm. She said the lack of information outside the center was frustrating.
She encouraged anyone by appointment at the convention center to fill the vehicle with a full tank.
Pickett said that once inside the facility, the vaccination process went smoothly and praised the efforts of rescuers in helping to vaccinate people.
The city said there was more traffic around the center on Saturday due to increased demand for office hours on weekends, along with people arriving early or without an appointment.
Texas COVID-19 vaccine distribution
Data from the Texas Department of Health Services show where the COVID-19 vaccines were sent across the state. Click on a marker to find information about each location. Use the “plus” and “minus” signs below to zoom in and out of the map.