Vaccine Data

As of July 24, 60.7% of all Whatcom residents 16 have initiated vaccination. Of those in Whatcom County who are eligible, currently anyone 12 and older, 69.5% have gotten at least one dose, and 55.5% of Whatcom’s entire population is fully vaccinated. 

If you are eligible and haven’t started vaccination yet, please make an appointment as soon as you can. If you have started, make sure you get your second dose as soon as possible after the recommended waiting period ends. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 and all its variants is to get both doses! You are still vulnerable to infection if you’re only partially vaccinated. 

Pop-up Vaccination Clinics and Other Walk-In Options

All of the clinics below welcome walk-ins, and some also take appointments. 

• Thursday, July 29 at Twin Sisters Brewing from 6-8pm, Moderna. Get a free beverage along with your free vaccine! Walk-ins are welcome, but if you'd like you can pre-register here. Located at 500 Carolina St in Bellingham. 
• Friday, July 30 at Old Lynden Middle School Gym from 3-6pm, Moderna, Pfizer AND Johnson & Johnson! Both testing and vaccines are available, open to everyone 12 and older. Located at 516 Main St in Lynden.

The Delta Variant

The Delta variant is here in Whatcom, and it’s now the dominant new coronavirus variant strain in Washington State. This variant is the most transmissible variant we’ve seen yet, with a viral load about 1,000 times higher than the original strain, according to a recent study.

Vaccination provides a strong level of protection against the Delta variant. Your chances of getting infected with the Delta variant are highest if you’re unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated. 

Breakthrough cases do happen. Even so, vaccinated individuals make up only a small percentage of cases around the country. None of the vaccines are perfect, but all of them offer a high degree of protection against severe illness from Delta, as with other variants. Virtually all hospitalizations and deaths continue to be among the unvaccinated.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself from the Delta variant is to get vaccinated, or finish your vaccination series if you’ve started it. The next best thing you can do is wear a mask. The CDC now recommends that everyone living in areas with substantial and high rates of transmission wear masks in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status. Whatcom county’s current level of community transmission is Moderate, according to the CDC’s data tracker.

For more information, check out our Delta variant update Newsflash.

Get Vaccinated to Get Back to Canada

In case you need any more reasons to get vaccinated, Canada will be welcoming fully vaccinated travelers from the US for non-essential travel beginning August 9. 

Just like in the US, you’re not considered fully vaccinated until at least 14 days after your final dose. You will need to provide proof of vaccination and get both a pre-entry and an arrival COVID-19 test. 

For more information, including how to provide proof of vaccination and where to schedule arrival tests is available here. 

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.