We’re making progress! As of March 21, more than one quarter of Whatcom County residents have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 13% of our community members are fully vaccinated.

Providers in Whatcom County are due to receive 3,470 first doses and 5,850 second doses COVID-19 vaccine for the week of March 22nd.

See the graphic below for more local vaccine data. 

Community Vaccination Center Update

The next CVC clinic event will be held on Saturday, March 27. There will be two clinics held, one for second doses only and another for first doses. You can register for the first-dose clinic online at prepmod.doh.wa.gov on March 24 beginning at 9:30 a.m. The second-dose clinic is by invitation only for people who were vaccinated at our March 6 clinic. 

If you’ve had difficulty using PrepMod in the past, check out our PrepMod video tutorial, available in English and Spanish. If you don’t have access to the internet or you need other language assistance, you can also call 360-778-6075 to make an appointment. Please do not call to make an appointment if you’re able to schedule online. Online scheduling is much faster, and by not calling you can help keep our phone lines open for the people who need it most.

Anyone who’s currently eligible - Phase 1A and 1B Tiers 1 and 2 - is welcome to sign up. The first dose clinic will be held in the afternoon between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.

Vaccine Eligibility Updates

As of last week, Governor Inslee has moved up the timeline for individuals in Phase 1B Tiers 3 and 4 to become eligible for vaccination to March 31. These tiers include:

• Anyone with two or more underlying conditions, as determined by the CDC.
• Anyone between the ages of 60 and 64.
• Anyone living in congregate settings (correctional facilities group homes for those with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, etc). 
• Additional workers in certain congregate settings (restaurants, manufacturing, construction). 

All adults over the age of 16 will be eligible by May 1, 2021. 

Parents of Children and Youth with Special Needs

As of March 8, parents and caregiver may qualify for vaccination under Phase 1A if:

• your child has a disability or health condition that puts them at higher risk for severe complications from COVID-19, and 
• you provide your child with daily caregiving support. 

If both of those are true for you, DOH advises that you go to PhaseFinder and answer “yes” to the question that asks if you are a worker in a healthcare setting. You will then be given a confirmation page. DOH advises that you print that authorization and bring it with you to the vaccine provider. 

If your child is over 18, and you are contracted with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) as their personal care provider, you can also download the DSHS Vaccine Verification Letter to bring to a vaccine provider.

If your child is 16 years or older and has a disability or health condition that puts them at higher risk for complications for COVID-19, they are currently eligible for vaccination with Phase 1B Tier 2 prioritization.  

For more information, refer to this DOH handout for Children and Youth with Special Needs.

Whatcom County Vaccination Conversations

On Thursday, March 18th, we hosted a Whatcom County Vaccination Conversation to update our community about vaccination efforts at several of the larger healthcare provider agencies, and to provide updates about the Community Vaccination Center at Bellingham Technical College. Presenters included Family Care Network, PeaceHealth, and Unity Care Northwest. You can watch the recording on YouTube. A Spanish translation will be available very soon.

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 COVID-19 vaccination in Whatcom County, visit our webpage at www.whatcomcounty.us/covidvaccine.