Predominantly Black neighborhoods in Oak Cliff has received zero COVID-19 vaccinations despite high rates of infection and having the most deaths from the virus in Dallas County.
A Texas Department of State Health Services map shows vaccination availability in central Dallas, northern Dallas and central Oak Cliff, but in the area south of the Trinity River between Interstate 35 and I-45, there is nothing. In the 75216 ZIP, where 61% of residents are Black, there have been no vaccinations.
A person living in 75216, where at least 64 people have died from COVID-19, would have to travel six or seven miles to find a vaccine, KXAS reported. In a neighborhood where poverty is high — the median household income is about $30,000 — traveling that far could be a challenge.
Texas state Sen. Royce West is urging the state to provide more vaccines in those neighborhoods.
Part of the problem is that the area already is underserved medically. There is no hospital, are fewer clinics and pharmacies, and the ones there are don’t always have the refrigeration needed to store the vaccine.
