FORT WORTH, Texas — In the effort to get people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Fort Worth, the city is trying something new—and it’s coming right to their doorsteps.
“We've covered about 32,000 houses, probably 20 square miles of Fort Worth,” said Art Franco with Fort Worth’s code compliance office.
Through federal funds, the city has hired part-time workers to go door-to-door with packets and information. The packets include two flyers, both in English and Spanish. One of the flyers busts common myths about the vaccine, like "the vaccines will make me infertile" or "the vaccines will change my DNA" (the vaccine won't do either). The other flyer details just how easy it is to get signed up for the vaccine.
“Having someone knock on your door, be right in front of you, be able to talk to you face-to-face—we think there's no other better way to get to the people,” Franco said.
Franco said the door knockers will answer people’s questions if they have any and can get people signed up on the spot.
It’s a tactic we’re seeing more and more: make the vaccine as accessible as possible. Last week, vaccines were being offered outside the Mavs game. And, for the next few weeks, you can get a vaccine in Fort Worth’s Sundance Square, a downtown destination typically known for its foot traffic (the square is currently closed due to the pandemic; the pavilion is open just for the clinics).
“We think that this is an excellent place to grab people as they come by, and that, in fact, is the new strategy,” said Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks.
“We have people from all over the Metroplex that come down here, they work down here, they eat down here, they play down here,” said Sundance Square’s Zach Murphy on the accessibility of the location.
The city of Fort Worth said they’re not tracking how many people sign up specifically after meeting the door-knockers, but they still believe in their efforts. Franco said currently, they’re only giving about 100 vaccines a day at their locations, and the need to increase is clear.
“We're still finding them, people that were hesitant,” Franco said. “It only took just to answer a few questions to convince them to get it.”