TARRANT COUNTY (1080 KRLD)- Tarrant County and UNT Health Science Center have opened a second location to give the COVID-19 vaccine. Two weeks ago, they started vaccinating people in the Stop Six area of Fort Worth; Tuesday, they started vaccinations in Saginaw.
"We're thrilled. When they reached out to us, we couldn't say, 'yes,' fast enough," says Mayor Todd Flippo. "We're a small town, but we have a big feel because we're right next to Fort Worth."
Flippo says 315 people would be vaccinated at Saginaw Recreation Center Tuesday, but that number will increase to 600 per day. He says they plan to give 30,000 shots over the next eight weeks.
"There are folks who haven't gotten a shot. They're scared to get out, or they can't, logistically, find transportation, so we're glad to bring the vaccine to them," he says. "It's awesome."
Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams, chief strategy officer at UNT Health Science Center, says the vaccination clinic aims to reach areas that have lower vaccination rates.
"In Saginaw, we have a very high population of Vietnamese as well as the Latinx community," she says. "They need access to the vaccine. Many have not been able to get access in other locations. We want to bring this to them, in their own community, in their own neighborhoods, with people they trust and venues they feel comfortable."
She says the clinics can reduce "vaccine hesitancy" and also make it more accessible to people who may not have transportation to a larger hub. She says UNT Health Science Center is also building relationships with cities and community groups across Tarrant County.
"It doesn't stop with vaccines," she says. "We can build community partnerships to provide services, like Meals on Wheels, transportation, child care, looking at where we can support public health efforts."
The vaccine clinic is at Saginaw Recreation Center at 633 W. McLeroy Blvd. Saginaw, TX 76179. Appointments are required, and people can register through Tarrant County here.
