Yakima to get federally run mass vaccination site
The Yakima Valley is getting a COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru and multiple mobile vaccination units through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washington Governor Jay Inslee's office announced Monday.
The White House also announced Monday that FEMA approved the application from the state and the Yakima County Health District. The program will open on March 31, and it will stay open for six weeks.
US data finds AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine effective for all ages
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease across all age groups in a late-stage study in the United States, the company announced Monday.
AstraZeneca said its experts did not identify any safety concerns related to the vaccine, including finding no increased risk of rare blood clots identified in Europe.
COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expanding by 2 million Washington residents on March 31
COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will expand to include anyone 60 and older and people working in congregate settings, including restaurant and food service workers, starting March 31.
Approximately 2 million additional Washingtonians will be eligible with the expansion. The decision to expand vaccine eligibility is due to an increase in doses and the vaccination rate, according to Gov. Jay Inslee's office.
Washington's biggest businesses join forces to help with vaccine rollout
A coalition of companies, some of Washington’s biggest businesses, are helping the state speed up the rollout of COVID vaccines.
Starbucks, Microsoft, Costco, Amazon, and several others are lending experts, some full-time, to the effort.
“We weren't looking for publicity. We asked for nothing from the state,” said former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, CEO of Challenge Seattle, the alliance of businesses. “These companies really believe this is a humanitarian effort.”
Washington COVID-19 cases shift younger, as older population gets vaccinated
Millions of shots are now in the arms of Washington residents. There are millions more to go. The good news is that there is proof that the vaccine is working with a decline in COVID-19 cases in older populations.
However, in King County, the age group most affected by coronavirus has shifted younger, Duchin said.
“And now, about 60% of our cases are in the 18- to 49-year-old, and 34% in the 18- to 39-year-old range,” Duchin said.
But now, with more virulent variant strains of the disease such as the one from the U.K. that spreads faster and can do more damage, his growing fear is with younger people, who likely will have to wait until May before being eligible for the shots.
How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Washington
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released an online portal to check your eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Use the Phase Finder tool to input personal information like age, health conditions and essential worker status to determine if it's your turn.
As of March 17, Washington is in Phase 1B, tier 2 of vaccination. This group includes:
- High-risk health care workers and first responders
- Long-term care residents
- People 65 years old and older
- People 50 years old and older in multigenerational households
- Teachers, school staff and childcare workers
- Employees in certain congregate settings, such as grocery stores, agriculture, corrections, transit and law enforcement
- People age 16 years and older who are pregnant
- People age 16 and older who have a disability that puts them at high risk
If you are eligible, find a list of vaccine providers on the DOH website and information on how to make an appointment.