With the waiting list for a vaccine in Dallas County, which now makes a million people, those who have time are turning to the road.
Many arrive on time along the I-45 to Corsicana, a charming little pocket of small towns, and most importantly, there is a wide supply of vaccines.
“We’re getting an assignment of about 1,500 shots each week,” fire chief Paul Henley said.
Henley is in charge of running the Navarro County Vaccination Clinic, with Corsicana firefighters, police officers, volunteers and nursing students from Navarro College.
In recent weeks, Henley said they have been able to send out invitations almost immediately to everyone registered on the county portal.
Recently, those that do not yet meet the requirements are included.
He said about 80 percent of those seen have been out of county residents.
“We’ve had them all the way to Georgetown, San Antonio, to get the shot, and that’s comforting because we know we’re doing well for a lot of people,” Henley said.
Stephanie Mears and Joshua Hernandez said they spent about two hours driving while fighting traffic coming from the Colony.
Still, they will tell you it was worth it.
“I think we’re excited and we’re happy,” Mears said.
“It’s a little surreal,” Hernandez said.
After seeing how the family struggled to find a vaccine, the couple was willing to do whatever it took to get a shot that would protect not only them, but their loved ones as well.
And, according to the guidance of health officials from DFW’s larger municipalities, that meant registering for the vaccine everywhere instead of waiting in places that could take weeks.
“We saw some Oklahoma signs in the parking lot. Therefore, there is definitely a desire and a demand for this “, said Hernández.
In Navarro County, Henley said they will be happy to help.
“We want to be a great manager of our assets and be what we can be for the State of Texas and our citizens,” Henley said.
Still, he said they have started debating how long an open place has been there.
In Navarro County, they rely on more limited resources in a smaller community to help serve larger populations.
That’s why Henley has gone to the county to see how both his vaccine assignment and his team can best help the jeans right now.
Henley said one possibility is to create another hub closer to the metroplex.
And for some who have made the drive, that makes sense.
“I know that there are people who do not have the luxury of driving for two hours or who are not able to drive, so we are lucky in that sense. But we hope it will be more accessible to more people, ”said Mears.
But until then, if and when it happens, Henley said Navarro County remains committed to helping Texas end the crisis.
The Navarro County Vaccine Clinic opens Wednesday and Thursday. Click here to register for a vaccine in Navarro County.