DALLAS — Workers and volunteers with Dallas County Health and Human Services are doubling down on efforts to educate residents about the COVID-19 vaccine and other immunizations through clinics.
Teams spent Friday hitting the streets and going door-to-door in the Lake Highlands community of north Dallas. They left information on doors and spoke with neighbors about the virus, the vaccine, and access to clinics.
“We have identified certain zip codes in Dallas County that haven’t reached herd immunity, and this is one of them,” explained Christian Grisales, a spokesman with Dallas County Health and Human Services.
The outreach efforts are growing more critical, according to DCHHS. A new wave of positive COVID-19 cases continues to surge in Dallas County. This week, UT Southwestern also updated its COVID forecast, predicting over 1,000 new COVID cases a day in Dallas County by Aug.16. All of this, as school districts across North Texas prepare students to return to full in-person classes in the coming days.
“This week, we reported over 1,400 positive cases and hospitalizations,” Grisales said. "So, the trend is going up. That’s why we want to prevent more COVID cases."
Crews say the block walks are working. Some neighbors are heading to vaccination clinics, based on the outreach and community canvasing efforts.
Still, some residents remain skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I don’t know. I don’t trust it,” said Mekkasia Self.
She said she hasn’t received the vaccine because she still has questions.
“Like, do you get sick? Like, is it like the flu shot, where they inject you with the flu,” Self says she wants to know. (The COVID vaccine does not contain any live virus)
Dallas County’s outreach teams say lack of information is a common concern. That is why they want the public to be armed with answers and options.
“You can go to any pharmacy, any community clinic. We have several community clinics throughout Dallas County where you can go,” Grisales said.
Among options, Dallas County Health and Human Services is hosting a back-to-school immunization and COVID-19 vaccine clinic Saturday, July 31 from 9 a.m. to noon at Lake Highlands High School at 9449 Church Road.
For additional information about COVID-19 vaccine and other community clinics, visit www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination.php.