Dallas County backtracks on COVID-19 vaccine priorities after Texas threatens to reduce supply – The Dallas Morning News

Updated throughout at 8 p.m. with new developments.

Dallas County commissioners, under duress from the state, on Wednesday reversed a decision to focus COVID-19 vaccinations efforts on residents from 11 vulnerable ZIP codes.

The five-member body backtracked hours after Texas health officials threatened to reduce the supply of vaccines to the states second-largest county if it moved forward with the plan. The warning, in an email to the countys health director, Dr. Philip Huang, said the decision to focus only on residents of those ZIP codes violated the terms of being a state-approved vaccine hub.

While we ask hub providers to ensure the vaccine reaches the hardest-hit areas and populations, solely vaccinating people who live in those areas is not in line with the agreement to be a hub provider, wrote Imelda Garcia, an associate commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. If Dallas County is unable to meet these expectations, we will be forced to reduce the weekly vaccine allocation and no longer consider it a hub provider.

As part of rescinding the ordinance, the commissioners visibly incensed with one another and the state during an emergency meeting Wednesday agreed to revisit by weeks end how they would prioritize people for shots at the Fair Park site.

I dont like having my arm twisted, said Commissioner John Wiley Price, a Democrat who represents southern Dallas. He abstained from the vote that undid Tuesdays order.

Wednesdays events were yet another twist in Dallas Countys effort to vaccinate the most at-risk residents as the global health crisis rages on. While more than 12,000 people were inoculated during the megasites first week, limited county data showed that a large proportion of shots went to people in mostly white and affluent neighborhoods. Officials had hoped a large-scale vaccine site below Interstate 30 would yield a more diverse group.

We need to focus on the core African American and Latino communities that had been hit the hardest by the pandemic, but not to the exclusion of every Dallas County resident that doesnt live in those ZIP codes, Commissioner Elba Garcia, a Democrat who represents western Dallas, said in a statement after the meeting. We want to be sure that all vulnerable communities have an opportunity to get vaccinated.

The states letter was prompted by County Judge Clay Jenkins, who alerted the state to the commissioners policy change. Jenkins had openly questioned the legality of the commissioners decision during their meeting Tuesday.

Commissioner J.J. Koch had sponsored the proposal to focus on the 11 ZIP codes to hold Jenkins accountable for the bungled vaccination rollout. As county judge, Jenkins is responsible for emergency management.

Dallas Countys health department is currently receiving 6,000 to 9,000 doses a week from the state. Officials have been hoping to see a sharp increase, as the demand far exceeds the supply.

More than 300,000 people have registered with Dallas County to get the shots. The county is also coordinating with other hubs in North Texas, including UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health & Hospital System. Texas launched the vaccine hub model earlier this month. Before the hub model, the state was sending smaller quantities of vaccines to hundreds of providers.

While the state said it moved to the hub model to make it easier for residents to get the vaccine, North Texans say theyre just as confused as they sign up with multiple providers.

Dallas County and other providers are allowed even encouraged to prioritize residents who are especially vulnerable, a spokesman for the state health department said in a follow-up email to The Dallas Morning News. However, the spokesman said, no provider can exclude entire swaths of the population who are eligible for the vaccine under state guidelines. Those include any health care worker working with COVID-19 patients, residents over 65 and those with serious medical conditions.

During Wednesdays emergency meeting, commissioners grappled with understanding why the state had come out against their decision.

Koch, a Republican who represents northern Dallas County, said his policy did not exclude anyone. He said Jenkins had mischaracterized the policy change in his correspondence with the state.

Its particularly disgusting, Koch said in an interview before Wednesdays emergency meeting.

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Dallas County backtracks on COVID-19 vaccine priorities after Texas threatens to reduce supply - The Dallas Morning News