PeaceHealth to give 1,500 first doses of COVID vaccine this week in Whatcom County
Here is the latest on who is eligible for the COVID-19 virus vaccine and where you can get it in Whatcom County. The information is frequently updated as vaccine availability changes.
The Washington State Department of Health allocates vaccines it receives from the federal government based, in part, on reported need and providers’ ability to properly store and distribute doses. These allocations are going to state clinics and county clinics, private and public health care clinics, and pharmacies.
PeaceHealth will distribute 1,500 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, and 3,900 second doses, according to the health care provider’s weekly vaccine update on Monday, March 22.
All of PeaceHealth’s vaccine appointments for this week have been filled.
Appointments for next week’s clinic will be available starting Friday afternoon, when the state tells PeaceHealth how much vaccine it will get, according to the update. People who can book them will include those who become newly eligible on March 31 under the state’s expanded vaccine eligibility into phase 1B, tiers 3 and 4.
Vaccine supply remains tight, with the Whatcom County Health Department saying that providers here expect to get 3,500 to 3,600 first doses each week for the weeks of March 22 and March 29.
In other vaccine news, Lighthouse Mission Ministries is thanking the Lummi Tribal Health Center for offering the COVID-19 vaccine to 100 people who are homeless and being served by Lighthouse Mission.
“We’re grateful that they offered to come and care for vulnerable neighbors who may have had a difficult time accessing the vaccine,” Lighthouse Mission Ministries said on its Facebook post of the vaccinations on Thursday, March 18, at Base Camp, its emergency homeless shelter.
Who is eligible for vaccination
Washington state is allowing vaccinations by phases. Check yours online.
Eligible phase 1B, tiers 3 and 4, starting March 31:
▪ People age 60 to 64 years old.
▪ People with two or more comorbidities, which are underlying health conditions listed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website that increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
▪ More people living in congregate settings, including correctional facilities, group homes for those with disabilities, and people who are homeless and living in or access services in such settings.
▪ More workers in congregate settings, including restaurants, manufacturing and construction.
Eligible phase 1B, tier 2, starting March 17:
▪ Critical workers employed in certain congregate settings, including agriculture, food processing, fishing vessels, grocery stores, public transit, firefighters, law enforcement, and prisons and jails.
▪ Those who are 16 years and older who are pregnant or who have disabilities that put them at high risk.
Previously and still eligible, Phase 1B, tier 1:
▪ 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.
▪ Educators and staff in grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade as well as licensed child care workers.
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, 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.
Whatcom vaccination update
Friday’s vaccination report said that as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, Whatcom County had administered 61,486 vaccinations — up 4.97% (2,909 vaccinations) from Wednesday’s report, which was for data through Monday, March 15.
Statewide, the number of vaccine doses administered increased 4.13% from Wednesday’s report (104,004 doses administered).
Vaccination data is updated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.
Here is what The Bellingham Herald’s data analysis of the latest numbers showed:
▪ Whatcom County — the ninth most populated in Washington state, according to 2019 U.S. Census estimates — has administered the 10th most doses of the 39 counties in the state.
▪ The state estimates 22.8% of Whatcom residents have initiated a COVID-19 vaccine — the 17th-highest rate in the state, and ahead of the statewide average of 22.29%. The state reports 51,368 people in Whatcom County have initiated a vaccine — an increase of 2,005 from Wednesday’s report.
▪ The state estimates that 11.6% of Whatcom County residents are fully vaccinated — the 27th-highest rate in the state, and behind the statewide average of 12.94%. The state reports 26,133 people in Whatcom County have initiated a vaccine — an increase of 1,643 from Wednesday’s report.
▪ An average of 1,066 Whatcom County residents per day received a vaccination dose from March 11-17— down from the 1,089 seven-day average from Wednesday’s report.
▪ Whatcom County has administered approximately 2.35% of the 2,621,510 total vaccine doses given in the state — up from 2.33% in Wednesday’s report.
Based on 2019 five-year population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau and counting residents fully vaccinated by the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine as having received two doses, Whatcom County has administered 0.28 doses of vaccine per resident — the 32nd highest rate in the state and behind the overall state average of 0.35 doses per person.
— David Rasbach, drasbach@bhamherald.com
Where to get vaccinated
As of Monday, most of these health care systems have an appointment-only process and those seeking appointments should do so primarily online.
Some providers have said they will reach out to qualified patients themselves. Many sites were seeing phone systems overloaded with those seeking vaccines and ask people not to call to inquire about getting their shots.
▪ Associates in Family Medicine: Says its vaccine supply remains limited. It asks people to fill out a form online for contact when more doses are available.
▪ Family Care Network: Is providing the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine and will schedule appointments for its established patients in eligible tiers as supplies become available. It is not maintaining a waitlist.
The health care provider said it won’t offer new appointments this week.
But it will keep scheduling open online and by phone to fill a limited number of appointments that could become available because of cancellations for its clinics on March 23 to April 1, according to Family Care Network’s weekly vaccine update on Monday.
You can try for those appointments at covidvaccine.fcn.net or 360-733-1342.
Family Care Network also continues to offer a small number of same-day appointments when it can draw extra doses from a vaccine vial. Upcoming scheduling time and dates for such appointments, and the vaccine being offered, are,
▪ Tuesday, March 23, at 2 p.m. for Moderna.
▪ Wednesday, March 24, at 3 p.m. for Moderna.
▪ Thursday, March 25, at 2 p.m. for Moderna.
▪ Monday, March 29, at 3 p.m. for Johnson & Johnson, also known as Janssen.
▪ Tuesday, March 30, at 2 p.m. for Moderna.
▪ Wednesday, March 31, at 3 p.m. for Moderna.
▪ Thursday, April 1, at 2 p.m. for Moderna.
Same-day appointments are scheduled by phone only at 360-733-1342, and only at the time indicated above.
Calls will be answered in the order received. A busy signal means all phone lines are full and that you have to call back.
▪ PeaceHealth: Is administering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to all who are eligible under the state’s phased rollout, although its focus is primarily on the Pfizer vaccine. People don’t have to be PeaceHealth patients.
The county’s largest health care provider also has launched online scheduling for vaccine appointments.
Find it at peacehealth.org.
People also can call 833-375-0285 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone line doesn’t allow the caller to leave a message.
It says it continues to reserve appointments for eligible individuals in underserved communities.
▪ Sea Mar: Has a first-come, first-served walk-in system, but check availability online first. As of its last update on Thursday, Sea Mar had no first doses for its clinics in Washington state, including Bellingham and Everson.
▪ Unity Care NW: The health care provider said it will contact eligible patients to schedule vaccinations.
“You may get a text or email from our partner Luma Health. This is a legitimate and safe way to secure your vaccine appointment,” Unity Care said on its website.
The health care provider also is piloting an online scheduling system.
▪ Department of Health: The state has launched a new Vaccine Locator tool, which it says will make it easier for people to find doses.
Go to vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov and put in your ZIP code to search for appointments from different providers within 50 miles. The site also will let you know how recently the information was updated.
▪ Federal pharmacy program: The federal government is sending vaccines directly to retail pharmacies.
In Washington state, participating pharmacies include Albertsons Companies (Safeway, Haggen and Albertsons); Costco; Health Mart Independent Pharmacies; Walmart, Rite Aid and Kroger (Fred Meyer and QFC).
Check for appointments at Albertsons in-store pharmacies at one website, mhealthappointments.com/covidappt.
Check whether Rite Aid is scheduling vaccine appointments at riteaid.com/pharmacy/covid-qualifier.
The state’s vaccine locator site also will provide information about whether vaccines are available.
Pharmacies also receive vaccines from the state Department of Health.
Government sites
▪ Whatcom County: A mass COVID-19 vaccination effort has been launched by a coalition of Whatcom County health care providers and the health department. Appointments for the Community Vaccination Center are required and are based on vaccine supply.
The next vaccination clinic is set for Saturday, March 27, in Building G at Bellingham Technical College.
Scheduling will open Wednesday morning, March 24. When it does, people can go to prepmod.doh.wa.gov.
Those 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.
Learn more about the clinic, what to expect, and directions for driving or taking public transportation to BTC by going to vaccinatewhatcom.org.
▪ Skagit County: The health department has set up a mass vaccination site at the fairgrounds in Mount Vernon but vaccinations depend on supply.
New appointments are announced at noon on Fridays on skagitcounty.net/covidvaccine. Appointments may be added throughout the week depending on vaccine availability.
People who received their first dose elsewhere can’t get their second dose at the Skagit vaccination site.
Search for appointments at prepmod.doh.wa.gov.
People who can’t access online appointments can call 360-416-1500 for help from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Spanish speakers will be available for those who need it.
▪ Washington: The state is offering large-scale vaccination in Spokane, Ridgefield, Wenatchee and Kennewick. They are open by appointment only to people who register and are eligible for the vaccine phase.
The state said first-dose appointments will be available at all four sites this week.
See what’s available at prepmod.doh.wa.gov. The site also provides information on other vaccine clinics elsewhere in the state.
One-stop help
Volunteers have stepped forward to help people find vaccines or find them easier. Both are online.
▪ CovidWA.com is compiling just about all of the available vaccine appointments throughout the state, according to a KING 5 story. Users type in their zip code to get the information, and they may have to travel to get their shots.
People also can follow @covidwashington for live alerts, as well as call or text their zip code to 425-292-1727 for three nearby clinics with availability, organizers said.
The site said it tries to check over 800 vaccine providers in the state about every 5 minutes.
▪ Find a COVID shot WA, a private group on Facebook, has volunteers that help people find appointments if they post using #searching. It has more than 46,000 members.
The group also focuses on obtaining vaccine appointments for those most affected by COVID-19 — people with disabilities, those who are 65 years and older, people with limited English, those who are Black, Indigenous and people of color, school employees teaching in-person. Vaccine seekers in these categories post using #support.
▪ Covid Vaccine Tracker: Discussion in Bellingham WA Area, a private Facebook group, has volunteers who are stepping in to try to help Whatcom County residents find appointments. It has over 900 members, who share information about appointments and what people are experiencing (good and bad).
▪ In addition, Whatcom County residents trying to find vaccine appointments but who don’t have a computer or internet access are being advised to call the state Department of Health toll-free hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available.
Hotline hours are:
▪ 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday.
▪ 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and on observed state holidays.
About the vaccines
Vaccines approved and currently available in Washington are:
▪ Pfizer: Requires two doses 21 days apart; authorized for people 16 years and older; 95% effective.
▪ Moderna: Requires two doses 28 days apart; authorized for people 18 years and older; 94.1% effective.
▪ Johnson & Johnson: Requires only one dose; authorized for people 18 years and older; 66.9% effective.
The CDC provides more information about the vaccines.
This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 1:12 PM.
