The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration efforts.

As of March 8, more than 2,140,418 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 78% of the 2,746,870 doses that have been delivered to our providers and long-term care programs. Washington is currently averaging 46,119 vaccine doses given each day. This information can be found on the DOH data dashboard under the vaccines tab, which is updated three times per week.

Vaccine milestones

Three incredible vaccine milestones have been achieved in Washington within the past week. Thanks to the hard work of health care providers, DOH staff, and our community, more than 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the state in just three months. On average, our providers are vaccinating more than 45,000 people per day, which exceeds the state’s goal. Additionally, our four state-led mass vaccination sites have administered more than 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since opening January 26. These accomplishments highlight the work that is being done by our partners across the state every single day.

Phase 1B2 starts next week

DOH, in partnership with the office of Governor Jay Inslee, is expediting the vaccine timeline, expanding eligibility to some critical workers on March 17 instead of the originally planned date of March 22. People age 65 and older are encouraged to make an appointment to get their COVID-19 vaccine now. Washington is currently vaccinating people in Phases 1A and 1B1. If you had a difficult time making an appointment in the past, please try again. The system has improved, and more appointments have opened. We also ask that family, friends, and neighbors reach out to older adults to see if they need help making an appointment. It is important everyone is vaccinated, especially those at highest risk.

To get your vaccine, first confirm you are eligible using Phase Finder. Please print or copy the confirmation page and share that information with your vaccine provider for proof of eligibility. If you need help finding a place to get your COVID-19 vaccine, the state’s Vaccine Locator website is a great resource. Those who need further help can call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available.

This week DOH announced it would adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance on safe behaviors post-vaccine. This gives fully vaccinated people more freedom to gather and socialize with others inside homes without wearing a mask. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). People who are fully vaccinated can begin to resume some of the activities they stopped doing because of the pandemic, such as hugging their grandkids and spending more time with their loved ones.

Federal Retail Pharmacy Program & Educators

This week the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program is receiving 72,000 doses of vaccine directly from the federal government. In Washington the pharmacies taking part in this program are Albertsons, Costco, Health Mart Pharmacies, Rite Aid, Kroger, and Walmart. These sites will prioritize educators, school staff, and childcare workers this month, but anyone who is eligible for vaccine can make an appointment at one of the pharmacies.

For a full list of Federal Retail Pharmacy Program locations, visit Vaccine Finder. Vaccine Finder is run by the federal government and separate from DOH’s Vaccine Locator webpage. Vaccine Locator displays COVID-19 providers that receive allocations from the state.

Covid-19 Vaccine Allocation update

Washington’s three week forecast from the federal government is gradually increasing but remains roughly 70,000 doses fewer than what providers are requesting.

Week of March 14: 327,320 total doses (170,680 first doses, 156,640 second doses)
Week of March 21: 334,340 total doses (170,680 first doses, 163,660 second doses)
Week of March 28: 341,360 total doses (170,680 first doses, 170,680 second doses)

This forecast helps DOH develop a multi-week strategy that supports consistency and predictability and is subject to change as vaccine availability from the federal government may change. Judging by the current forecast, Washington will not receive more Johnson & Johnson vaccine for at least three weeks.

The above is a press release from the WA State Department of Health. The Auburn Examiner has not independently verified its contents and encourages our readers to personally verify any information they find may be overly biased or questionable. The publication of this press release does not indicate an endorsement of its content.