‘I don’t want to die of COVID. It’s that simple,’ Texas teacher says

PLANO, TX — A teacher in North Texas says she’s frustrated with the vaccine distribution process in the state.

Pat Parker, who has been an educator for 51 years, teaches English at a community college and said she knows the only way to get back into the classroom and get back to normal is if people get vaccinated.

Parker told WFAA she signed up to be on Collin County’s waiting list for the vaccine just two hours after the registration opened.

But by 10 a.m. Thursday, she was number 16,793 in line.

“I don’t want to die of COVID. It’s that simple. I don’t want to die of COVID,” Parker said.

Collin County Judge Chris Hill blasted the state for its vaccine response, writing that the county has the worst ratio of vaccine doses received versus the county population of all 254 Texas counties.

“Clearly, the State has not provided an adequate or equitable share of the vaccines to Collin County. This is not acceptable and it needs to change immediately,” he wrote.

Hill continued in his post, saying that the county is ready right now to administer up to 2,000 vaccine doses per day.

“Collin County is ready. Collin County is prepared. Collin County is waiting on the State of Texas…,” Hill wrote
As for Parker, she says she just wants to keep teaching, but be safe.

She’s now trying to get the vaccine through her pharmacy.