First vaccine site to open in Fort Worth's Stop Six neighborhood

FORT WORTH, Texas - People who live in a low-income Fort Worth neighborhood will soon have an option to get the vaccine close to home.

The Stop Six neighborhood is getting its first vaccination site.

About 8% of people in Tarrant County is fully vaccinated, but it’s not evenly distributed among areas.

The zip codes with the lowest vaccination rate are minority communities with obstacles and barriers that local leaders are hoping to break down.

Less than 4% of residents in the southeast Fort Worth neighborhood of Stop 6 have been vaccinated. It’s one of the lowest rates in the county.

Reverend Bruce D. Datcher is hoping to turn the tide with the first COVID-19 vaccination site in the Stop 6 neighborhood opening at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church on Tuesday.

"We’ve had a lot of individuals who have been registered with the county for quite a while but still have not heard from the county due to backlogs to be able to get their vaccine," he said.

Tarrant County Public Health says it plans to send just 200 doses a day to the new site specifically for residents living in and around the neighborhood.

"I think it’s the start. And I’m quite sure as they progress over the next couple of months, it will pick up," Datcher said.

The site is also the first to be set up and run by the UNT Health Science Center through its agreement with Tarrant County.

Expanding vaccine access to minority communities and those without reliable transportation has been a topic of conversation among both county and city leaders for months.

And while some in those communities are still hesitant about getting the vaccine, Datcher says he’s starting to see a shift.

"Actually, they are excited about the opportunity to get vaccinated," he said.

The site is by appointment only, but UNT Health Science Center plans to have student volunteers available to help people register in person who may have technical issues or no internet connection at home.