FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD) - Tarrant County is partnering with the UNT Health Science Center in expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Former Acting Surgeon General Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams, who's now with the UNT Health Science Center, gave a lengthy presentation during Commissioners Court this morning about what the initiative will entail.
Dr. Trent-Adams says the partnership's goal is to break down barriers for people to get the vaccine.
One way to accomplish this is to establish mobile clinics.
"Some of our populations are more rural in some of the parts of Tarrant County," says Dr. Trent-Adams, "(and) there may be individuals who just cannot get to a hub site or don't have transportation or may be limited due to disabilities just to be in their homes and may not be able to come out to a site at all."
Another part of the plan is drive-through vaccination sites.
"There are different ways, given space, that you can set up your vaccine site using multiple lanes," Dr. Trent-Adams says. "I've been in flu clinics where we've had five lanes of traffic, and then designated parking spaces for people to be observed after they get their vaccines."
The plan also includes setting up vaccination sites at workplaces.
"(It) would give the personnel access to vaccines while they're working," noted Trent-Adams, "decreasing the rate of missing the follow up appointment, but also decreasing the likelihood that they have to take off from work to simply get the vaccine, if the hours were not conducive to their work schedule."
The Commissioners Court approved the partnership unanimously.
