Why Dallas County delayed its COVID vaccine drive-through in Fair Park

When Margaret Thompson took her 88-year-old mother to have her second injection of COVID-19 at the Dallas County Fair Park vaccination site, she hoped to get in and out quickly.

For the first shot, they were in downtown South Dallas for almost half an hour, “including the 15-minute wait,” said Thompson.

On Tuesday, they arrived around 1:30 pm, but were still waiting in line two and a half hours later.

Thompson said they didn’t know what to expect when they came for the second shot – but “it wasn’t that”.

Dallas County was due to debut its multilane vaccine drive-through on Tuesday, but a myriad of problems not only delayed its opening, but caused another day of long waiting times. Contributing factors – according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins – were a temporary shortage of doses, colder than expected weather and absent generators needed to properly store the vaccine, which requires a stable temperature after thawing.

A wave of residents in search of their booster doses before the cold weather arrives this week and a new round of unauthorized consultations have also caused bottlenecks.

The site is scheduled to open at noon on Wednesday, but the cold weather forecast for the rest of this week could complicate vaccination efforts in Fair Park and around northern Texas.

Cold temperatures have already prompted at least one provider in a neighboring county to temporarily suspend operations later this week. Denton County announced that it will close its Texas Motor Speedway unit, which operated normally on Tuesday, in Fort Worth on Thursday.

Ongoing problems

This was supposed to be the week that Dallas County’s Fair Park website solved everything.

The site opened a month ago this week, but it faced setbacks from the start: technical problems with its registration site, confused messages about making appointments and political disputes about who should be vaccinated and in what order.

As the site faces its biggest week – a forecast of 21,000 first and second doses – it has encountered a new set of problems.

On Tuesday, it became clear to the hub team that the generators needed to power the equipment in the vaccine stalls – located away from any electrical outlet – had not arrived. Of great concern to Dallas County officials: regulating the temperature of the vaccine. It was not yet clear on Tuesday night why the energy sources did not appear.

After voiding plans to open its expanded drive-through, Dallas County dragged residents into the Tower Building, using its existing vaccination setup. The county had a limited drive-through option.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who represents southern Dallas County, was dismayed by another round of problems.

“It has nothing to do with the weather,” he said on Tuesday. “The forecast is the same. It is called incompetence. “

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the state health department, acknowledged statewide confusion about the supply chain, especially amid recent changes made by the federal government. State and local suppliers are required to request doses. But these deliveries can be staggered, creating a brief void.

Van Deusen said the state was monitoring 400,000 doses that were due to be delivered Tuesday at centers across Texas, including 9,000 at Dallas County Fair Park.

“Every day we are improving a little,” he said.

Cold weather

There is no hope for a mild climate next week, and vaccine hub operators are already making changes.

This week’s highs are expected to be in the 30s, with lows in the 20s. And at the weekend, casualties may fall for teenagers. When the casualties are in adolescence, a light wind is enough to give the feeling that the temperatures are in the single digits.

Jenkins said he would not hesitate to close the Fair Park site if conditions made it dangerous for residents to drive or volunteers to move around.

“We are in Texas, so we won’t have many days like that,” he said. “We will be more than able to catch up if we have to be late.”

The city of Dallas is changing its check-in station at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center from an open car park to a covered section. On Tuesday, there were some small delays while people waited to receive the vaccine.

The Parkland Health & Hospital drive-through vaccination sites at Ellis Davis Field House and Eastfield College have been prepared to continue operating as expected. However, the sites will be closed if the thermal sensation drops below 20 degrees, a spokeswoman said.

Denton County, which organized one of the nation’s biggest vaccination efforts last week, decided to close its hub on Thursday, predicting the severe winter. No appointments have been scheduled, officials said. Operations are expected to resume on Friday afternoon.

Texans awaiting their second chance should expect additional information from the county.

“While we know that members of our community are eager to be vaccinated, the health and safety of participants, staff and volunteers is the most important,” said Matt Richardson, Denton County health director, in a statement. “We hope that the climate will be more cooperative on Friday for a safe, efficient and effective vaccine clinic.”

A spokesman for Collin County said in an email that his hub operator “certainly plans to continue.”

Tarrant County officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Team editors Jesus Jimenez, Everton Bailey Jr. and Charles Scudder contributed to this report.