Providers in Whatcom County are due to receive 2,540 first doses and 3,270 second doses of COVID-19 vaccine for the week of Feb. 22. To date, providers in Whatcom County have received a total of 20,365 initial doses. As of Feb. 20, 25,996 (11.5%) Whatcom County residents have received their first dose.
See the graphic below for more local vaccine data.
You can watch a new video explaining how to find this vaccine data on the COVID-19 data dashboard. You can also find explanations for each data point in this infographic on page 2 of our data explainer. Note that the doses allocated each week to Whatcom County are not included in the data dashboard.
Improvements to DOH Vaccine Locations List
The Washington State Department of Health has updated the Vaccine Locator list to include information about available appointments from providers. The site provides a map of those locations accepting appointments, as well as ways to search by county, city, and vaccine type.
Providers need to opt in to have their information shared on the Vaccine Locator list, so this list doesn’t include every enrolled vaccine provider. You can also check your regular healthcare provider’s website or look for emails and texts from them to find out if they are making COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
DOH Hotline Hours Change
The DOH COVID-19 Information Hotline is changing hours.
Starting on Monday, February 22, the hotline will be open from:
Hotline specialists can answer questions about a variety of COVID-19 topics, including symptoms and testing, exposure to the virus, recommended isolation and quarantine periods, and WA Notify (the state’s exposure notification tool).
Hotline information is available on DOH’s COVID-19 contact page. To reach the state COVID-19 Information Hotline, dial 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available. You can also call 888-856-5816 (a Spanish option is available).
Resource for Blind and Low Vision Individuals
A new resource is available for blind and low vision individuals. Blind and low vision individuals can call 360-947-3330 to ask questions regarding access to resources related to COVID-19. No medical advice will be given, as the purpose of BLIND COVID access line is to provide access to information over the phone that may otherwise be difficult to locate through the web or other means. You can learn more at blindcovid.com.
Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program is a collaboration between the federal government, states and territories, and pharmacies to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine. As the program begins, select pharmacies are receiving limited COVID-19 vaccine doses directly from the federal government. Doses given to pharmacies through this program are in addition to the state allocation from the federal government.
Last week, DOH announced that more vaccine will be coming to Washington starting this week through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. The current pharmacies enrolled in this program in Washington are:
- Albertsons Companies, Inc.
- Costco Wholesale Corp.
- Health Mart Pharmacies
- Rite Aid Corp.
- The Kroger Co.
- Walmart, Inc.
You can find all participating pharmacies by state here. The pharmacies participating in this program will also be listed on DOH’s state vaccine locator list and map.
Learn more about the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination from the CDC.
DOH Vaccine Webinar
On Thursday, February 18, 2021, the Washington State Department of Health hosted a webinar about the COVID-19 vaccine. Topics discussed included the state’s phases, the in-depth work occurring to ensure equity for populations ranging from communities of color to those living in rural areas, ways DOH is working to make vaccines accessible, and much more.
The recording of the webinar will be posted on DOH’s website and we will share it once it is available.
More Information
More information about the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine planning, and vaccine safety can be found on the DOH’s COVID-19 vaccine web page at www.covidvaccinewa.org. For information about the COVID-19 vaccination in Whatcom County, visit our webpage at www.whatcomcounty.us/covidvaccine.