Parkand Hospital outlines COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for its employees

DALLAS - Area hospitals are working on plans for the COVID-19 vaccine distribution next week.

The state released its distribution list Friday, anticipating the vaccines will be approved by the time they arrive.

Parkland will get one of the largest batches of COVID vaccine from the state. Officials are expecting to receive it by next Thursday.

The first COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Texas is just days away.

Twenty North Texas hospitals will receive more than 50,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which could get emergency FDA approval this week.

“Right now, we have a tentative date of the 16th, might be the 17th, depending on when the vaccine is approved by the FDA,” explained Francesco Mainetti with Parkland.

Parkland Hospital in Dallas will get one of the largest deliveries with more than 5,800 doses.

Mainetti is leading the distribution team for the hospital. Parkland has more than 15,000 employees, so he says they have broken staff down to five priority groups of 3,000 people a group.

“First we are going to focus on the employees in the main hospital that have direct patient contact, nurses, physicians with high exposure to COVID and to patients,” he said. “Once that wave is completed, we will move into our outpatient settings: Family care clinic, special care clinic.”

Support staff like cafeteria workers and custodians who work in the same environment as doctors and nurses will be in the third group. Staffers who don't have regular contact with clinicians are in the fourth and fifth groups.

Because the Pfizer vaccine has to be stored in freezers at 70 degrees zero, the vaccines will be given in the hospital.  Once the vaccine is given, employees will automatically be notified for an appointment for the required second dose of the vaccine three weeks later.

“We are not going to make it mandatory. At least for now, it’s voluntary,” Mainetti said. “So depending on how many employees decide to take the vaccine, we can do more or less.”

Dallas County hospitals will get more than 27,000 doses.

Tarrant County will get about 18,000, and Collin County will get nearly 4,000 doses.

Denton County is the largest in our area to not receive doses.

Parkland officials say they have not surveyed employees about interest in the vaccine but will be ready when the delivery is made.

“As soon as the vaccine gets here, we are ready to distribute it to our employees,” Mainetti said.