Dallas plans to start giving COVID-19 vaccine to residents at convention center

The city of Dallas will restart a drive-through COVID-19 vaccine site at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Tuesday to give 2,000 second doses to city employees and, later, another 5,000 to residents already registered to get shots.

Second doses of Moderna vaccines will be given to city paramedics, firefighters and police officers on Tuesday.

The city’s first inoculations for eligible people are planned for Thursday by appointment, said Rocky Vaz, Dallas’ emergency management director. Residents who’ve registered with Dallas County to receive the vaccine in Fair Park will be contacted ahead of time to get their shots at the convention center downtown instead, he said.

“Our goal is to put 5,000 vaccines in arms by the end of the day on Saturday,” Vaz said.

The city received 2,000 doses of the vaccine on Dec. 28 and administered all of them to about 40% of the city’s first responders in a convention center parking garage by Jan. 5.

Mayor Eric Johnson then asked the state for more doses to help the county boost vaccination efforts, saying the city has the capacity to store up to 10,000 doses a week.

People can register for the vaccine via the county website or by calling the registration hotline at 469-749-9900.

More than 380,000 people had registered with the county to receive the vaccine in Fair Park as of Monday, and over 18,800 doses have been given out since the mass distribution site opened Jan. 11.

Staff writer Nic Garcia contributed to this piece.