Ellis County begins COVID-19 vaccination effort for the most at-risk residents.
Beginning this week, Ellis County will operate a COVID-19 vaccination hub in Waxahachie for people in Class 1A and 1B.
Located at the Waxahachie Senior Center at 122 Parks Hill Drive in Waxahachie, the vaccine hub will have 5,000 vaccination doses available for anyone who’s a direct care professional in a hospital, an EMS setting, or a pharmacy, or who’s a school nurse. Also eligible are people who are residents of long term care facilities, persons 65 years old or older, and persons 16 years old or older who have a medical condition that puts them at greater risk of complications if they should become infected.
The vaccinations will be administered only to those who register at the county’s digital portal, which is coordinated with Baylor Scott and White Medical center.
After signing up, registered vaccine candidates will then be notified when they need to show up at the senior center to receive the vaccine. County officials request that no one arrive at the facility without first making an appointment through the portal. Also, the senior center will host the vaccine hub but will not serve as an information source, so county leaders ask that no questions be directed to the center’s staff.
Those who are notified of their appointment are asked to wear a short-sleeved shirt or other accessible clothing to facilitate the administration of the vaccine.
“I have incredible news: today, Ellis County has made tremendous progress in the fight against the coronavirus. For weeks, state officials have heard our call for vaccinations to be made available here in our county. Through the Ellis County Vaccine Initiative, the State of Texas has heard from our elected officials, emergency managers, first responders, and public health officials all across our great county. Today, I am thrilled to report our hard work has paid off,” said County Judge Todd Little in a video statement posted on Ellis County’s website.
With 60,000 Ellis County residents but only 5,000 vaccines for the week, Judge Little acknowledged that the effort in the coming week is only a beginning, and he requests patience.
“We will continue to work through our plan day by day to effectively administer as many vaccines as possible. In order to pull this off, we will need your help. Right now, this countywide effort is about neighbors helping neighbors. While vaccine supplies continue to increase around our state, we must continue to care for and prioritize those that need it the most,” Little says.
Little also calls on local residents to help register those they know of who are eligible for the vaccine but have no access to a computer or the internet.
A COVID-19 vaccine FAQ page presented by John Hopkins Medicine states that the coronavirus vaccines developed thus far have a 95% success rate of preventing mild and severe COVID-19 symptoms in those who receive the vaccine.
The vaccine hub has been coordinated through a partnership among Ellis County, the City of Waxahachie and Baylor Scott and White Medical Center.
Before you go, you might like:
How long is the wait time before getting notified of an appointment ? I’m in Class 1B, I signed up with the Baylor Portal 4 days ago. Have not heard anything more about an appointment date.