Is Whatcom’s COVID vaccine supply keeping up since the second booster was approved?
The Whatcom County Health Department has not received word about any COVID-19 vaccine shortages in the county since a second booster dose was authorized for those 50 and older last week.
“No, we have not been made aware of any shortages of COVID vaccine due to the ability for individuals to receive a second booster dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines,” Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Manager Cindy Hollinsworth told The Bellingham Herald in an email Tuesday, April 5.
Even if Whatcom does start to run low, Hollinsworth said the turnaround for businesses to receive vaccine orders is approximately four to five days after they place an order for more doses.
The latest data on the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard Monday, April 4, did show an increase in the number of doses delivered in Whatcom County over the weekend. The total number of vaccine doses delivered as of Sunday, April 3, increased by 1,852 doses — the largest reported increase Whatcom County has seen since it had more than 2,600 reported Jan. 31 and the county’s first reported increase of more than 1,000 doses since Feb. 23.
The Department of Health reports a total of 88,045 booster doses have been delivered in Whatcom County, as of Sunday, meaning 61.2% of all residents eligible to receive one have done so.
Overall, 74.8% of all Whatcom County residents have initiated vaccination and 68.5% have completed it, the state reports.
“If people would like to get a second booster dose of an mRNA vaccine, they can find a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic on our vaccine webpage (updated weekly) or visit Vaccine Locator,” Hollinsworth wrote.
