Where to find the COVID-19 vaccine and who can get it in Whatcom County
Here is who is eligible for the COVID-19 virus vaccine and where can you get it in Whatcom County. The information is frequently updated as vaccine availability changes.
The state allocates vaccines, based in part on reported need and providers’ ability to properly store and distribute, to state clinics, county clinics and private and public health care clinics and pharmacies.
For the week of Feb. 8, Whatcom County providers were allocated 3,275 first doses of vaccine.
It’s not the biggest allotment for the county, whose providers received more than 5,000 doses in one week several weeks ago.
Officials said they don’t know if the letter sent last week by the Whatcom County Health Board expressing frustration with the rollout and lack of transparency in allocation decisions helped get more first doses to county providers.
“We don’t know if the Health Board’s letter played a role in the allocation this week, or if it is the result of increased supply, or other factors altogether. Weekly allocations have fluctuated greatly in the past, so it’s not clear if this is another fluctuation,” Melissa Morin, spokesperson for the Whatcom County Health Department, told The Bellingham Herald on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Vaccination dashboard
The state’s vaccination report for Monday, Feb. 8, said that as of 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, Whatcom County had administered 18,450 vaccinations — an increase of 1,384 vaccinations from Friday’s report, which was through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3.
An average of 340 Whatcom County residents per day received a vaccination dose from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, up from the 337 seven-day average on Friday. Vaccination data is released Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The state estimates that 8.55% of the county (or approximately 19,263 residents) have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 2.18% of the county (or approximately 4,912 residents) are fully vaccinated.
The number of vaccines given and people vaccinated may not match, according to the dashboard, because people may be vaccinated in counties other than where they live.
Who is eligible for vaccination
Washington state is allowing vaccinations by phases. Check yours online.
Vaccinations have been available to those in phase 1B, tier 1, since Jan. 18:
▪ 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 the age of 50 and are not able 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.
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 for vaccination from 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.
Next up, but not yet eligible, will be tier 2 of phase 1B, which includes:
▪ Workers 50 years and older who work in certain congregate settings, including agriculture, food processing, correction facilities, grocery stores, public transit, educators, child care.
The date for when this group can get vaccinated hasn’t been announced.
Where to get vaccinated
As of Feb. 8, most of these health care systems have an appointment-only process and those seeking appointments should do so online. Some 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.
▪ Family Care Network: Is providing the Moderna vaccine and will schedule appointments for its established, specific, high-risk patients in eligible tiers as supplies become available.
On its website, Family Care Network said it will accept about 300 vaccine appointments starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Make them online at covidvaccine.fcn.net or by phone at 360-733-1342.
Appointments will be at four clinic locations or at its Bellingham drive-thru for Thursday, Feb. 11; Tuesday, Feb. 16; and Wednesday, Feb. 17.
People may be asked to show proof of eligibility at the time of vaccination.
It is also working on same-day appointments for the instances in which an extra dose can be drawn from a vial of COVID vaccine, the health care providers said on its website.
“We are working on a process to create same-day appointments for extra doses. Appointments will be made available for phone scheduling at a specific time each day,” it states, adding that more information will be posted on its website by end of day on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
▪ PeaceHealth: Vaccine appointments are only available for PeaceHealth Medical Group patients who are eligible based on Washington state guidelines. Patients whose medical records (age, medical conditions) indicate eligibility will be notified via email when they can schedule an appointment. PeaceHealth is not maintaining a wait list. St. Joseph hospital has cold-storage facilities that allows it to use the Pfizer vaccine. It also receives the Moderna vaccine.
PeaceHealth said it was getting 975 first doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 500 first doses of the Moderna vaccine this week, and that all have been allocated.
In a post on Nextdoor, PeaceHealth said it continues to vaccinate health care workers and high-risk patients 65 and older while beginning to vaccinate patients 87 and older who have established primary or specialist care with PeaceHealth providers.
▪ Sea Mar: Has a first-come, first-served walk-in system, but check availability online first. As of 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, Sea Mar said it had no vaccine.
▪ Unity Care NW: The health care provider says its vaccine supply remains “very low” and that it will contact eligible patients to schedule vaccinations when it gets more doses.
The state also has an online map that lists some providers that are enrolled to receive vaccine doses and are vaccinating people. Because vaccine supply is very limited in Whatcom County, the providers listed may not have vaccine or may be fully booked.
Only providers who want to be on the map are listed. In addition to PeaceHealth and Sea Mar, the list so far includes Costco, the two Fred Meyers on Lakeway Drive and West Bakerview Road, Haggen on Woburn Street, and Safeway on Guide Meridian Road.
Residents of long-term care facilities nationally are being vaccinated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with CVS, Walgreens and others.
The federal government is preparing, for the first time, to send vaccines directly to retail pharmacies, possibly as soon as February — a move that would create new access for people who are eligible.
Government sites
▪ County site: A mass COVID-19 vaccination effort could be launched by Whatcom County in late February or early March, possibly sooner — provided there is adequate supply, public health officials said during a briefing on Wednesday, Jan. 27. There’s been no new information on this effort as of Tuesday, Feb. 9.
With available doses this week, the Whatcom County Health Department said it is launching a new vaccination model.
“We are piloting our mobile vaccine clinic this week at a number of adult family homes, which is a gap that we are pleased to fill. We are vaccinating staff and residents at these long-term care facilities, who are eligible under phase 1A,” Morin said.
▪ Washington sites: 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.
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.
The CDC provides more information about the vaccines.
—The Bellingham Herald staff writers Kie Relyea (krelyea@bhamherald.com) and David Rasbach (drasbach@bhamherald.com) contributed to this story.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 1:43 PM.
