SEATTLE — Some first responders will need to wait for a coronavirus vaccine after a clinic scheduled for this weekend in King County had to be canceled.
Health officials said staffing issues prevented the clinic from happening.
Lack of federal funding has also made distributing the coronavirus vaccine even more difficult, according the Washington State Department of Health.
Earlier this week, health officials said only a fraction of the more than 356,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine delivered here have been used. Health officials said less than 20% of the distribution -- 59,491 doses -- had been administered as of Wednesday morning.
"I'm not surprised," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County, when asked about the allocation of the vaccine in the state. "I'm disappointed it happened so quickly that we're already seeing challenges with respect to allocation," he said.
As more phases for receiving the vaccine are announced, state health officials said it's getting ready to release a vaccine questionnaire called PhaseFinder, which will let people know if they are eligible for the vaccine.
The state Department of Health is expected to unveil the second phase of its COVID-19 vaccine plan in early January.
