Chances are when you’re out and about, getting groceries and gas, about half of the people around you are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The state’s running dashboard shows that close to 51% of the population age 12 and older have been fully vaccinated. Another 9% have received at least one dose as of July 16.
Dallas County is neck and neck with the state in the rate that people are getting shots in their arms. Texas as a whole has a little over 51% of the population eligible for the vaccine fully vaccinated. Our county leads by a fraction of a percent for those with at least one dose.
Vaccine operations at Fair Park will end this weekend on July 17. The mega-site has distributed nearly 500,000 doses to residents since it opened in January, according to an update from Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
The number of COVID-19 related hospital stays and deaths have slowed significantly since peaks in January, but have had a slight uptick since late June, as reported to the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council.
So far, there have been 175 identified cases of the more concerning strains of the virus. This includes 139 cases of the Alpha variant, three Beta, sixteen Delta and seventeen Gamma. Nineteen have been hospitalized and three have died from these strains, with one vaccinated individual dying from the Delta variant. Additional information on age or if the deceased had any health complications was not released.
Dallas County Health and Human Services reported 285 additional positive cases of COVID-19 July 15, including 214 confirmed cases and 71 probable cases. Since testing began, there have been 265,059 confirmed cases via a PCR test and an additional 44,000 probable cases. A total of 4,157 Dallas County residents have died after contracting COVID-19.
“The cause for the increasing numbers is due to the Delta variant and unvaccinated people,” Jenkins said in a statement. “Current cases of COVID do not give you protection against the Delta variant. However, the vaccines provide excellent protection against all variants and have been proven to be safe and effective for everyone 12 and older.”
“It’s important that those of us who can be vaccinated get vaccinated to protect children under age 12 who cannot be vaccinated and to protect our oldest residents. While our oldest residents may be vaccinated, the vaccine may not be as effective due to underlying conditions or age and therefore they need your help to protect them from the virus.”
Vaccines can be found at pharmacies and clinics across Dallas County using a search tool at https://www.vaccines.gov/. A comprehensive list of testing sites, updated July 15, can be found here.
