COVID Vaccine to be Offered at State Fair of Texas This Year

Dallas County and the State Fair of Texas are offering an extra incentive for people to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

KRLD reports that the State Fair teamed up with Dallas County Health and Human Services to host a walk-up vaccine clinic during the fair this year, which is set to kick off on September 24.

The fair is sweetening the pot by giving everyone who gets the shot $20 worth of coupons to be used at the State Fair.

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Director of Dallas County Health and Human Services Dr. Philip Huang said the plan is to promote the $20 coupons heavily in hopes of decreasing the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations:

The vast majority of everyone who is hospitalized and who is dying of this is unvaccinated. That's where this is, essentially, a preventable situation.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Dallas County have risen dramatically since the end of June, increasing from less than 200 to nearly 800 as of this posting.

Vaccination rates in Dallas County are on the rise as well. The rate has gone up to 35,000 per week from 15,000 per week just three weeks ago.

According to Dr. Huang, some UT Southwestern models suggest that the weekly rate of vaccinations needs to increase to 40,000 to turn things around. However, he’s hopeful the current rate can at least be maintained.

The health department is currently hosting a drive-thru vaccination clinic in the Fair Park parking lot on Saturdays. The 500,000th shot was given at Fair Park just last weekend.

Vaccinations during the fair will be given at a site set up near Big Tex.