Many People Crossing State Lines To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Texas

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) – Some people are so desperate to get the COVID-19 vaccine, they’ll cross state lines to do it.

“It’s incredibly challenging,” said Karen Kaiser, a nurse who lives in McKinney, when describing the process for registering.

She signed up with multiple hubs in North Texas in order to get the vaccine. It took her weeks.

“The whole way this was set up from the get-go was anxiety-producing in a competitive nature,” she said.

So competitive, people were willing to drive across the country to get a shot at Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Texas Motor Speedway (credit: Chopper 11)

“We vaccinated over 9,100 folks from states as far away as Pennsylvania, Colorado, Louisiana, and right next door in Oklahoma,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads.

In total, 11 people came to TMS from out-of-state to get vaccinated:

2 who flew in from Colorado
1 from Florida
1 from Louisiana
1 from Pennsylvania
and 6 from neighboring Oklahoma

Some Texans have traveled from as far as El Paso and McAllen to get vaccinated, but more than 80% of those who received the shot have been residents of Denton County.

The Texas Department of State Health Services says the vaccine shipped to Texas is meant for people who spend a significant amount of time in the state, but there is no official requirement to show proof of Texas residency before getting it.

“This is really no time to be the vaccine police,” Kaiser said.

She understands why some would be mad people who don’t live in Texas got doses here, but she’s not one of them.

As a nurse, Kaiser believes everyone who can get the vaccine, should.

“When we can get to 60 or 70 percent of our entire population with the vaccine, we’re going to be better off,” she said.

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