Whatcom vaccine clinics offer 1,680 first doses of Moderna, and this is how to get one
A total of 1,680 first doses of the Moderna vaccine as well as second doses will be given this weekend at two COVID-19 vaccination clinics at Bellingham Technical College, the Whatcom County Health Department announced on Tuesday, April 20.
The clinics will run 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and April 25, in the Community Vaccination Center at Bellingham Technical College, 3028 Lindbergh Ave. in building G.
Appointments are required.
Registration for first doses will open at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21, at prepmod.doh.wa.gov.
Clinic appointments won’t show up on the website until the sign-up time. Online scheduling is faster, the health department said.
But people who don’t have internet access, an email address, or who need language interpretation can call 360-778-6075 for help booking an appointment.
In addition to the first doses, second doses are available at the Saturday clinic for people who got their first Moderna shot at the Community Vaccination Center.
Community Vaccination Center staff will contact those recipients to schedule a second-dose appointment for Saturday.
People who got their first Moderna shot elsewhere but are having problems finding a second dose, can call the center at 360-778-6075 to ask about an appointment.
Since April 15, COVID-19 vaccine eligibility has expanded to all Washington state residents 16 and older. In Whatcom County, that’s an estimated 64,000 more Whatcom County residents.
But the Moderna vaccine has so far been authorized for use for those 18 years and older.
Sign-up tips
Knowing what works best for the online system will help your chances of getting one of the appointments, which can fill quickly.
If aren’t able to get an appointment, sign up for the waitlist in case there are cancellations or no-shows, the health department said.
You’ll find the list at the bottom of the scheduling page on PrepMod.
The waitlist is for that clinic date only, because the Community Vaccination Center doesn’t maintain an ongoing waitlist.
Here’s how to search for the clinic in prepmod.doh.wa.gov after you click on “Find a Clinic,” according to the health department:
▪ Easiest: Select “COVID-19 Vaccination” and type in “Bellingham” in the “Name of Location” search bar. The Community Vaccination Center will be the first clinic to come up, when it’s time for scheduling to go live.
▪ What about the ZIP? If you search by ZIP code and don’t select a “search within” radius, PrepMod will give results by the date of a clinic. That means the Community Vaccination Center will be farther down the list, especially since appointments open on Wednesday and the clinic is on Saturday.
▪ If you include a “search within” radius of 10 miles of a Whatcom ZIP code, the Community Vaccination Clinic at BTC is usually the first one to pop up.
▪ Need more help? Go to vaccinatewhatcom.org for videos that are in English and Spanish. That’s also where you’ll find information on what to expect at the clinic, directions for driving or taking public transportation, and an ADA accessibility map.
The vaccination effort 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, Whatcom Community College and Hoagland Pharmacy.
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 4:08 PM.
