The sites are expected to have even higher capacity as more vaccine doses become available.
“As our vaccine allocation increases, these sites will provide extra capacity to get people vaccinated quickly and efficiently across the state,” said Dr. Umair A. Shah, Washington’s health minister, said. “With much less stock of vaccine than people currently eligible, it will take time, which will require the patience of all of us. I would like to thank our partners who work together to help us build the necessary infrastructure to achieve our (global) goal of 45,000 vaccinations per day. ”
Pre-registration is required for vaccinations, but appointments can also be filled quickly for the first few weeks of the fair. Those without appointments will be turned down. According to the news release, there will be access lines for languages on all sites, and some people have bilingual staff.
To be eligible for vaccination on the site, you must fall under Phase 1A or 1B-1. Those in Phase 1A are health care workers or emergency medical services. People who fall into 1B-1 are someone 65 years and older or people 50 years and older who live in multigenerational housing.
For 50-year-olds and older to be eligible, you must also not be able to live independently and receive long-term care from a paid or unpaid caregiver; living with someone who works outside the home; or to live with a grandchild and to care.
The site near Ridgefield is one of four vaccination sites in Washington that the Department of Health is opening this week. According to a news release, the state will manage the sites with the help of the Washington National Guard and local and private partners.
The other sites are in Kennewick, Spokane and Wenatchee. At the Ridgefield site, doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine are administered, which is approximately 95 percent effective after a second dose.
Healthcare clinics, pharmacies and providers will continue to offer vaccination. If a healthcare provider or pharmacy gets the opportunity to be vaccinated, Washingtonians should not wait to be vaccinated.
According to a Sunday news release, Clark County Public Health has received requests from more than 18,000 people who are eligible to receive the vaccine. Public Health refers people to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, Vancouver Clinic and Sea Mar Community Health Centers.
According to the Department of Health, more than 15,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in Clark County as of Monday. Nearly 400,000 doses were administered nationwide.