One year later, ‘Those 23 doses marked the beginning of a tremendous community effort’
One year ago Saturday, Dec. 18, the first 23 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered within Whatcom County.
After averaging approximately 900 doses per day since then, nearly three-quarters of all eligible residents within Whatcom County and 71% of the total population has received at least one dose.
“Those 23 doses marked the beginning of a tremendous community effort by hundreds of health care workers, public health professionals, and volunteers to vaccinate Whatcom residents against a virus that has filled hospitals, closed businesses and schools, and killed over 800,000 Americans to date,” the Whatcom County Health Department said in a release commemorating the one-year anniversary of the first doses on Dec. 18, 2020.
“While our community’s work has led to three out of four eligible Whatcom residents getting at least one dose of the vaccine, the Whatcom County Health Department knows that there are still many people who want the vaccine but have been unable to get it due to language, transportation, or cultural barriers. Together with our many partners, we’ll continue working diligently to get the vaccine to our neighbors in underserved communities.”
As of data Tuesday, Dec. 14, a total of 319,286 vaccine doses had been administered in Whatcom County, according to the county release. That’s approximately 900 vaccine doses administered per day.
As of Tuesday, 161,352 Whatcom County residents — or 74.4% of the 216,598 eligible residents and 70.8% of the county’s total population — have initiated vaccination, according the release.
Also as of Tuesday, 147,003 residents in the county — or 67.8% of all eligible residents and 64.5% of all residents in the county — have completed vaccination, according to the county data.
Additionally, the Washington State Department of Health reported Wednesday, Dec. 15, that 144,485 “additional” doses, which include extra doses given to immunocompromised residents and booster doses, had been administered in Whatcom County.
But the health department said it realizes it still has plenty of work to do, as it has been tracking who is getting vaccinated since it began rolling out vaccine doses.
“In March 2021, the Health Department and our community partners began targeted outreach and pop-up clinics for groups with vaccination rates lower than the county average, including people of Hispanic descent and people living in rural parts of the county,” the health department said. “To date, more than 3,500 doses have been given at 120 pop-up clinics.”
And every dose is important, the health department said, as it provides a layer of protection against severe illness from COVID-19.
“They have reduced the risks of COVID-19 to the level where students are back in classrooms, the majority of businesses are able to operate without capacity restrictions, and we can gather safely with our vaccinated loved ones,” the release states. “As we face the uncertainty of the new Omicron variant, the vaccines still have a key role to play: whether it’s your first dose or your booster shot, please get vaccinated.”
Walk-in vaccine opportunities
In an effort to help more people do that, the health department Friday announced three walk-in opportunities for the entire family to receive their first, second or booster doses on Saturday at three locations around the county:
▪ Bellingham: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Rite Aid (222 Telegraph Road). Everyone 5 and older can receive vaccine doses at the walk-in only clinic.
▪ Everson: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Everson Elementary School (216 Everson Goshen Road). Available to everyone 5 and older. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are also available by calling 360-778-6075 or online for ages 5-11 and for ages 12 and older.
▪ Lynden: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the old Lynden Middle School cafeteria (516 Main Street). Available only for 5- to 11-year-olds. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations can be made by calling 360-778-6075 or online.
