Coronavirus News

Dallas launches new program to do COVID-19 vaccinations at home

If you have mobility issues, they'll come to your house.

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UPDATE 4-13-2020: The City of Dallas and the Visiting Nurses Association of Texas (VNA) have paused the in-home vaccine rollout until further notice, following recommendations from the FDA and the CDC, due to clotting incidents with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The city of Dallas will launch a separate program to do COVID-19 vaccinations at people's homes.

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The city has partnered with Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA), a nonprofit that does outreach to elderly people. They'll identify Dallas residents who are unable to get to a vaccination site. The vaccinations will be deployed by Dallas Fire Rescue (DFR) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff and VNA staff.

They're going with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a single dose. According to a release, they'll begin with 500 doses, allocated from Dallas County Health and Human Services.

The in-home vaccinations will begin on Tuesday, April 13, with six teams of EMS staff vaccinating 12 residents per day, based on availability of vaccine doses.

VNA offers Meals on Wheels in Dallas County, and VNA Hospice Care and Palliative Care in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Henderson, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Tarrant, Van Zandt, and Wise Counties. So they're already in touch with Dallas residents who might lack transportation.

"The clients we serve through Meals on Wheels are the most vulnerable in our community — they are elderly and homebound, do not have access to technology for scheduling, suffer from multiple chronic conditions and reside in areas most impacted by the pandemic," says Katherine Krause, VNA President & CEO in a statement. "We knock on their doors every day connecting them to food and resources and it is vital that we bring this life-saving vaccine to them."

"We thank the VNA for their partnership to equitably vaccinate our most vulnerable residents," said Rocky Vaz, Director of the City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management says that this has been a high priority. "Working with the VNA allows us to provide vaccines to many who might not have been able to reach vaccine hubs or pharmacies any other way," Vaz says.

The city's previous vaccine initiatives include registration events and a partnership with Uber Technologies and Project Unity, a local nonprofit, to provide free rides to vaccination sites.

The city currently operates a drive-through vaccination hub at The Potter’s House in southern Dallas. The hub is operated by contract vendor American Medical Response (AMR), and is distributing 5,000 first doses of the Moderna vaccine by appointment only this week.

For more information on the City’s COVID-19 response efforts and vaccines, call 214-670-INFO (4636) or visit DallasCityHall.com/COVID19. To register for a vaccination, go to www.dallascountycovid.org or call 1-855-IMMUNE9 (855-466-8639) between 7 am-7 pm.

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Sound off

Dallas residents can help shape future of libraries via online survey

Photo by Devon Divine on Unsplash

Dallas libraries want residents' input.

This time, it's okay for library goers not to be quiet. Dallas residents who care about the future of the city's library system can make their voices heard in a survey accessible online through the end of the month.

The City of Dallas, Dallas Public Library (DPL), and Friends of the Dallas Public Library (FoDPL) have launched an online questionnaire to gather resident feedback and insights into the use of Dallas public libraries. The input gathered, they say, will help inform plans for new models of library service in response to budget reductions that the library system currently faces.

"The City of Dallas, DPL and FoDPL encourage all City of Dallas residents to complete the questionnaire and to share it with their networks and communities to help inform future decision-making about DPL," says a release.

The online questionnaire can be taken in English and in Spanish, and paper copies will be available at Dallas Public Library locations.

The 29-question survey is multiple choice and wide ranging. It starts with questions about how much individuals use the library system, how informed they feel about its services, and whether city funding should be increased or decreased.

Several questions are based on this premise: "Dallas Public Library is considering a new regional service model that would create five Flagship libraries located across the city and close four neighborhood locations. These Flagship libraries would be open seven days a week, offer extended hours, and provide additional programs and services. The remaining neighborhood branch libraries would continue to offer core services."

Currently proposed for closure are the Arcadia Park, Skyline, Renner Frankford, and Oak Lawn branches.

Survey-takers are asked whether they support or oppose the proposed model, what would change their view, and whether the specific branch closures would affect them. They're also asked for input on additional services the libraries can provide.

The survey will close on February 26, 2026.

Find the full survey link here.

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