How do you remove your name from COVID-19 vaccine waiting lists in North Texas?

To get potentially lifesaving vaccinations, many North Texans have adopted the same strategy: Sign up on as many waiting lists for COVD-19 shots as possible, and then take the first appointment that’s offered.

But as access to the vaccine expands, some people have found more luck getting appointments at local pharmacies and other clinics rather than waiting for their names to come up on county-operated waiting lists, which can span hundreds of thousands of names.

What happens if someone is on multiple waiting lists but ends up getting inoculated somewhere else? Here are the processes for getting off the lists at North Texas’ major vaccination hubs.

Dallas County

Dallas County doesn’t have a feature that allows people to take their names off of its COVID-19 vaccine waiting list, said Lauren Trimble, the chief of staff for Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

She said the county’s vaccine management vendor is “working quickly to implement that feature.”

Before Dallas County reaches out to patients to schedule appointments, health officials check names on the county’s waiting list as well as names on the state’s immunization registry. If people previously signed up on the county’s list but got their shots somewhere else, it’s unlikely the county would contact them.

If people do get invited to schedule appointments but no longer want or need to be vaccinated, they can just disregard the invitations, Trimble said.

Tarrant County

People who want to remove themselves from Tarrant County’s waiting list can visit tarrantcounty.com/covidshot and select the “self service/status check” icon in the upper righthand corner of the webpage.

There, people can check where they are on the list, as well as reschedule or cancel their appointments.

Collin County

Collin County Health Care Services no longer maintains a waiting list for the COVID-19 vaccine. Instead, appointments are offered through Curative Medical Associates on a first-come, first-served basis.

People who sign up for appointments with Curative Medical Associates can cancel online by calling 1-888-702-9042 or emailing support@curative.com.

Denton County

People who sign up through Denton County Public Health can remove their names from the waiting list by calling 940-349-2585.

The county also sends weekly waiting list updates that include a link to remove a name, spokeswoman Jennifer Rainey said.