Denton County Public Health (DCPH) began vaccinating emergency medical service (EMS) providers and home health care workers as part of the 1A vaccine distribution group as designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Eligible pre-registered staff from local fire departments and home health agencies received their first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during DCPH’s first drive-thru vaccine clinic, held at University of North Texas’ Discovery Park facility today.
“We are excited about the vaccine’s arrival in Denton County as we continue to work on the first tier of vaccinations for our health care workers,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “We are following state guidelines to ensure vaccines received by the county go to fill in the gaps for those on the front lines, as well as our most vulnerable populations at long-term care facilities. We will continue to follow those guidelines as we receive additional vaccines and look forward to the day when every Denton County community member can easily find a vaccine provider for themselves.”
As additional vaccine becomes available, DCPH will coordinate with EMS and home health agencies, as well as other phase 1A organizations, to pre-register and schedule health care workers for vaccination. Community members who are healthcare workers are encouraged to contact their employer for vaccination distribution. All others are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider or pharmacy to determine if they are enrolled to give the vaccine.
“As the vaccine begins to arrive in our communities, we must continue to practice personal responsibility with mask wearing, handwashing, and social distancing,” stated Dr. Matt Richardson, Director of DCPH. “While hope has arrived with the vaccine, COVID-19 remains highly infectious and our hospitals are currently strained with a large number of COVID-19 patients. Doing our part now, while we wait for our opportunity to get vaccinated, helps relieve that stress on our hospital systems and lower the number of new infections in Denton County.”
While the vaccine remains limited in availability, DCPH continues to urge all community members to:
- Maintain at least six feet of physical distance in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
- Wear masks or face coverings, which should cover both the nose and mouth, in public settings and when around individuals outside of the household
- Wash and/or sanitize hands frequently
- Stay home if you are symptomatic, have recently had close contact with a person with COVID-19, or are awaiting COVID-19 test results
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and state distribution plan, visit DSHS’ COVID-19 Vaccine Information page. For additional COVID-19 data including active case information by municipality, hospital capacity, and ventilator utilization, visit the DCPH stats page. For information regarding DCPH’s upcoming testing centers, please visit the DCPH COVID-19 testing page. For additional COVID-19 health and safety recommendations, visit the COVID-19 information page.