What to know about Tarrant County’s FEMA vaccination site in Arlington
Arlington’s most recognizable event spaces will draw in a different type of crowd over the next several weeks.
Globe Life Field will open Friday, Feb. 26 as a vaccination site in partnership with city, state and federal emergency management agencies. Arlington Fire Department spokesperson Richard Fegan said officials expected to vaccinate 500 Wednesday and 1,000 Thursday as part of a “soft opening.”
Starting Friday, Feb. 26, officials will aim to vaccinate around 3,000 per day, with the goal of administering 21,000 vaccinations per week. The site will be open seven days a week. Using the county’s waiting list, FEMA will target underserved populations, including minority groups and low-income residents.
Fegan said the Globe Life Field hub will likely operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., but times may change over the weekend and according to changes in demand.
Officials with Tarrant County were not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
Arlington’s federal vaccination site is one of three prescribed for Texas as part of a Biden Administration push to get more shots in arms nationwide. The other two sites are in Fair Park in Dallas and NRG Stadium in Houston.
What’s the plan?
State, local and federal emergency management officials hope to administer both doses of the Pfizer vaccine to around 63,000 people over eight weeks. Comparatively, the Esports Stadium Arlington hub had administered around 47,000 doses overall of the Moderna vaccine as of Tuesday evening, Fire Chief Don Crowson told Arlington City Council.
The federally supported vaccination effort will likely move from Globe Life Field to AT&T Stadium in late March, Fegan said. AT&T Stadium was the original venue for the site, but was moved to the ballpark due to event scheduling conflicts.
What about the Esports Stadium hub?
Esports Stadium Arlington at 1200 Ballpark Way will continue operating as long as officials keep receiving doses, Fegan said. The city site received 7,000 doses Tuesday and around 5,300 Wednesday.
Overall, Tarrant and Dallas counties received less vaccine from the state this week — a point of frustration for county officials. Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said he was told the FEMA sites would not affect allocations to the county and feared some county hubs may have to shut down if they receive fewer doses.
Esports Stadium Arlington, however, has enough doses to administer second-round Moderna vaccines to people who had previously visited the site for their first dose.
“We are positioned to where we’ll still operate at our other site, at a minimum providing a second dose to those we owe second doses to,” Fegan said.
People due for their second doses will be notified of their second appointment time. Personnel will administer second-round vaccinations only to those who have received their first doses at the stadium.
How do I register?
Like other county vaccination sites, only those who signed up through Tarrant County Public Health, meet current eligibility standards and received an appointment date at Globe Life Field can receive a shot.
People 65 and older, medical personnel, emergency responders and people susceptible to severe illness remain the only Texas residents eligible for the vaccine under state guidelines. Registration is open through the county website at https://tcph.quickbase.com/db/bq3q4uet8, and people may still sign up regardless of their eligibility. Those who have already signed up can check their registration status and estimated appointment wait time through the link or by calling 817-248-6299.
