The first COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Texas Motor Speedway — the largest drive-thru clinic in the state and possibly the country — will begin Tuesday morning, according to Denton County.
Denton County Public Health vaccinated about 10,000 people total at two clinics last week, but the county was allotted 31,500 by the state for this week and the county needed a larger venue to administer the larger number of vaccine doses. The county announced Monday afternoon that that medical personnel from DCPH, the Medical Reserve Corps and area fire departments will vaccinate an estimated 30,000 residents who have appointments through the Denton County Vaccine Interest Portal.
Clinics on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday with 16 drive-thru lanes will vaccinate 1,000 people per hour, starting at 7:30 a.m. each day, according to a news release from the county. Residents will remain in their vehicles for their safety and convenience as they pass through a series of tents to receive COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. No walk-ins will be allowed.
“This is the largest drive-through clinic we know of in the state and, possibly, the U.S.,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “It is an ambitious undertaking but one the Denton County Commissioners Court feels good about with the help of more than 400 county staff, volunteers, fire and police personnel from our surrounding communities, CoServ and Texas Motor Speedway.”
Only individuals with appointments and the proper identification will be allowed onsite. Message boards and directional signs will guide all registered recipients through the complex to the vaccination drive-through clinic located at 2401 Petty Place on Texas Motor Speedway property.
“The ability to vaccinate 10,000 individuals in one day is a monumental task,” said Dr. Matt Richardson, director of DCPH. “We are thankful for the support from Texas Motor Speedway, various cities generously providing additional staffing, and staff from multiple Denton County departments working in unison to provide mass vaccination to our community.”
Situated off I-35W at Hwy 114, the speedway was the logical choice for the massive clinic with its 131-acre parking footprint, the county said.
“Texas Motor Speedway is honored to be working again with Judge Eads and his staff to provide Denton County residents with a safe, efficient and convenient location for these vital COVID-19 vaccinations,” said Texas Motor Speedway President and General Manager Eddie Gossage. “The goal for the incredible scale of these clinics is to get as many North Texans vaccinated as quickly as possible which, in turn, will eventually allow everyone to safely open back up as soon as possible.”
Community members in tiers 1A and 1B can sign up for a waitlist to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on the Denton County Vaccine Interest Portal at DentonCounty.gov/COVID19vaccine. As of Sunday, a total of 160,233 residents were on the waitlist.
Volunteers also are needed for future clinics. Anyone interested should join the Medical Reserve Corps at https://www.dentoncounty.gov/758/Medical-Reserve-Corps. Each volunteer will receive a one-hour online training course and undergo a background check.
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