DALLAS — The City of Dallas and the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA) Wednesday partnered to identify and vaccinate Dallas residents who lack mobility to reach a vaccination site. This program will utilize Dallas Fire Rescue (DFR) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff and VNA staff to identify, contact and route vaccinations to homebound residents.
This program utilizes the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to provide a safe, efficient process for Dallas residents in need of in-home vaccinations. Outreach will begin with 500 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine allocated from Dallas County Health and Human Services.
"Vaccines are the key to ending the terrible COVID-19 pandemic, and we are working hard to ensure everyone in our city has equitable access to these lifesaving triumphs of modern medicine," said Mayor Eric Johnson, who serves as the City of Dallas Emergency Management Director. "I am excited for what this new partnership will mean for Dallas. For our vulnerable homebound residents, this effort can finally bring an end to the fear of the last year. And for our entire city, these vaccinations represent another important step toward achieving community immunity against a deadly and devastating virus."
In-home vaccinations will begin on Tuesday, April 13 with six teams of EMS staff vaccinating 12 residents per day as vaccine doses are available. Planning is in process for routes to effectively, efficiently and equitably vaccinate Dallas residents who otherwise lack transportation to reach community vaccination hubs or pharmacies.
"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. "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. "This has been a high priority for our department and the City. 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."
The City of Dallas has previously worked to eliminate barriers to receiving the vaccine. The City has hosted registration events across Dallas, and Mayor Johnson recently partnered with Uber Technologies and Project Unity, a local nonprofit, to provide free rides to vaccination sites.
The City continues to operate a drive-through vaccination hub at The Potter’s House in southern Dallas. The hub, which is operated by contract vendor American Medical Response (AMR), is distributing 5,000 first doses of the Moderna vaccine by appointment only this week.
The City will continue to evaluate and reassess its vaccination strategies as needed in the days and weeks ahead.
For more information on the City’s COVID-19 response efforts and vaccines, please call (214) 670-INFO (4636) or visit DallasCityHall.com/COVID19. To register for a vaccination please go www.dallascountycovid.org or call 1-855-IMMUNE9 (855-466-8639) between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
About VNA
Established in 1934, the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas (VNA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that helps people age with dignity and independence at home. VNA is the community’s most trusted provider of quality health care services in the home and is the first, most experienced Hospice Care provider in Texas. 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. Visit www.vnatexas.org or call 1 (800) CALL-VNA for more information.
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