Whatcom’s mass COVID vaccination site to open Saturday at Bellingham Technical College
A mass COVID-19 vaccination site will open Saturday, March 13, at Bellingham Technical College, the Whatcom County Health Department announced on Tuesday, March 9.
It will run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bellingham Technical College, 3028 Lindbergh Ave., and will give 400 people the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Vaccination for the clinic is by appointment only.
“Supply is still low, and we’ll have to start slow. But each vaccinated person gets us one step closer to recovery,” said Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department, in a news release announcing the effort.
People who are eligible to receive the vaccine under Washington state’s phased rollout plan — now in phase 1A and 1B Tier 1 — can make an appointment for what’s being called the Community Vaccination Center starting 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 10.
Schedule appointments at prepmod.doh.wa.gov. The website will let people know what vaccines are available at the Saturday clinic, and subsequent ones, when they sign up.
Vaccines that will be given will vary, based on available supply.
People who don’t have internet access, an email address, or who need language interpretation can call 360-778-6075 for help in scheduling an appointment.
To avoid possible long wait times, online scheduling is recommended.
The large-scale clinic for the community is a collaboration of health care providers and others that include Bellingham Technical College, Family Care Network, PeaceHealth, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Unity Care NW, Whatcom County Health Department, Whatcom Unified Command, and Hoagland Pharmacy.
Students in the nursing programs at BTC and Whatcom Community College are helping to staff the site.
The first vaccination clinic for the community is being launched after an initial run on Saturday, March 6, which organizers said was a success. A total of 240 people who were eligible for the vaccine received it then.
Recipients included home health agency staff and older adults who were reached through senior-service agencies, according to the release.
“As this site ramps up, we will be able to greatly expand vaccine access for eligible people in Whatcom County,” said Shanon Hardie, chief operating officer of Unity Care NW and co-chair of the Community Vaccination Center Steering Committee, in the release.
“We feel honored to help our community and we’re eager to start getting shots in arms,” Hardie said.
A BTC official explained why the college is part of the vaccination effort.
“Our college has been an integral component of this county’s economic development for many years and this contribution is just part of that role. The sooner we get everyone vaccinated, the sooner we can get everyone back to work,” Walter Hudsick, BTC’s interim president, said in the release.
Subsequent clinics will be held on Saturdays, and the number of appointments will depend on vaccine supply.
Learn more about the clinic, what to expect, and directions for driving or taking public transportation to BTC by going to whatcomcounty.us/covidvaccine and clicking on Community Vaccination Center on the right.
Who is eligible for vaccination
Washington state is allowing vaccinations by phases. Check yours online at www.FindYourPhaseWA.com.
Most of those in phase 1B, tier 1, have been eligible for vaccination since Jan. 18:
▪ All people 65 years and older.
▪ People 50 years and older in multi-generational households where they live with and care for their parents or a grandchild.
▪ People who are over 50 and unable to live independently, who either receive long-term care from a paid or unpaid caregiver or are living with someone who works outside the home.
▪ Under the direction of President Biden, Washington state announced it was adding educators and licensed childcare workers to its Phase 1B-1 group starting Tuesday, March 2, and they could seek appointments immediately.
The addition means that about 5,000 more Whatcom County residents can now be vaccinated.
The county has 4,829 people employed in preK-12 education fields and 161 child care workers, according to The Bellingham Herald’s analysis of Washington State Employment Security Department data.
Not eligible in this phase are people younger than 50, people over 50 who care for a partner or friend, or any parent or guardian caring for their small child or teen.
Previously and still eligible for vaccination from phase 1A:
▪ High-risk health care workers.
▪ High-risk first responders.
▪ Residents and staff of congregate living settings, such as nursing homes.
▪ All other workers in health care settings who are at risk.
Next up, but not yet eligible, will be tier 2 of phase 1B, which includes:
▪ Critical workers who work in certain congregate settings, including agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, public transit, firefighters, law enforcement, and workers in prisons and jails.
▪ Pregnant women and those with disabilities that put them at high risk.
Gov. Inslee has announced plans to move to this tier beginning March 22.
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 1:37 PM.
