This is when you can sign up for one of Whatcom’s 700 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
A total of 700 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be offered during a COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic Saturday, April 3, at Bellingham Technical College.
The clinic at the Community Vaccination Center will be the largest yet, the Whatcom County Health Department announced Tuesday, March 30.
“We’re excited to have so much of this vaccine to offer this weekend,” said Shanon Hardie, chief operating officer for Unity Care NW and co-chair of the CVC Steering Committee, said in a news release on Tuesday. “Seven hundred doses of Johnson & Johnson means seven hundred more fully-vaccinated people in our community.”
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires a single dose.
The high number of doses are announced as 38,000 more Whatcom County residents become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination starting Wednesday, March 31.
That’s when phase 1B, tiers 3 and 4, of the vaccine rollout in Washington state kick in and include people as young as 60, those with underlying health conditions, and more people who live or work in congregate settings, including restaurants and manufacturing.
The Saturday clinic will run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Community Vaccination Center at Bellingham Technical College, 3028 Lindbergh Ave. in building G.
Vaccination is by appointment only.
People eligible to receive the vaccine under Washington state’s phased rollout plan can sign up starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 31, the Whatcom County Health Department said.
Do so by going to prepmod.doh.wa.gov. Clinic appointments won’t show up on the website until the sign-up time.
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. And the phone service needs to be prioritized for those who can’t schedule online, the health department said.
Upcoming hours and days of clinic operation will be limited by the number of doses received from the Washington State Department of Health.
And the vaccines provided will vary, based on what’s available.
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 help staff the site.
Learn more about the clinic, what to expect, and directions for driving or taking public transportation to BTC by going to vaccinatewhatcom.org. A video, in English and Spanish, on how to schedule an appointment is on the website as well.
Who is eligible for vaccination
Washington state is allowing vaccinations by phases.
Eligible phase 1B, tiers 3 and 4, as of Wednesday, 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, since 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.
