Kaufman County residents have watched reports of nearby counties distributing the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccine to its residents, with no sign of the same occurrence in our own county. This has left many in the area full of questions. Who is eligible for the vaccine? Where can I get it? When will it be available? Does Kaufman County even have any vaccines?
State Representative Keith Bell, along with Kaufman County Commissioners, has been working diligently to bring more vaccines to Kaufman County residents. Last week Kaufman County Judge Hal Richards said he was confident that progress was being made on this front, and on the morning of January 19 it was announced that Representative Bell had assisted in successfully securing funding to bring a COVID-19 Vaccination Hub to House District 4. Bell was instrumental in obtaining Kaufman County’s remaining CARES Act allocation of $1.2 million for this vaccine hub, as well as a commitment from the Texas Department of Emergency Management to assist with the FEMA Public Assistance Grant.
Tentatively scheduled to open on January 25, this Vaccine Distribution Hub will be located in Terrell and will have the initial goal to offer up to 1,000 vaccinations per week. As more vaccines are made available through the Texas Department of State Health Services, this number is expected to rapidly expand. Currently, the DSHS says Texas residents that fall into the categories for Tiers 1A and 1B are candidates for the vaccine. This includes frontline healthcare workers, residents at long-term healthcare facilities, men and women ages 65 and up, and those who are 16+ with certain chronic medical conditions. Vaccines will be available to people in these categories at the new Kaufman County hub whether or not they call Kaufman County home.
After some frustration with the previous method of vaccine distribution by the State, this news comes as a great relief to residents and officials of Kaufman County. Judge Richards explained that the initial hold-up was because larger counties like Dallas, Tarrant, and Harris, for example, have their own fully staffed health departments. This allowed these counties and others like them to receive and distribute vaccines differently than Kaufman and other smaller counties. A hub vaccination center in Kaufman County creates a more streamlined way for eligible residents to receive their vaccines locally.
A press release from Judge Richards’ office reads, “County leaders, with the assistance of State Representative Keith Bell and in partnership with Trinity Valley Community College, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and The Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) are finalizing plans to establish a COVID-19 HUB vaccination center.” Information on how to register, the exact site location, and hours of operation will be made available to the public as soon as those plans are finalized.
“I want Kaufman County residents to know that we are working to find ways to get large numbers of vaccines delivered and given to our residents. There is a huge ongoing effort to accomplish this,” Judge Richards reassures. “In the meantime, all of us have to be extremely diligent to follow guidelines and stay safe.”
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