Yakima County continues to receive additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
As of January 26, 2020, local partners have administered COVID-19 vaccine to 11,082 individuals. 1,988 of those have received their 2nd dose.
These numbers do not include doses that have been administered to staff and residents of long-term care facilities through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership.
Washington State Data Dashboard
The Washington State Department of Health updated the COVID-19 Data Dashboard to include a tab for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution. The dashboard has information on total vaccines given (first and second doses combined), which is not the same as individuals who have been vaccinated. Please use caution when reporting the data between WA State DOH and local county data as they will not always be interchangeable.
Local Vaccine Roll-Out
Across Yakima County we have seen an increase in vaccine accessibility as the community works to vaccinate those that are eligible. There are a variety of hospitals, pharmacies and clinics that have received the vaccine. Community members should keep in mind that in Yakima County alone there are at least 40,000 individuals who are eligible as part of Phase A and Phase B Tier 1. For this reason, it is anticipated that Washington State will remain in Phase B Tier 1 until sometime in the spring. Currently, getting an appointment for the COVID-19 Vaccine is a four-step process:
Step 1: Determine Eligibility using Phase Finder www.FindYourPhaseWA.Org
Step 2: Identify a location that is currently distributing vaccines using the Yakima Health District Website
Step 3: Contact the location to schedule an appointment. Each location will have a preferred method of contact listed on the Yakima Health District website
Step 4: Go to your first appointment and mark your calendar for your second dose. If you do not get scheduled for your second dose when you get your first vaccine, visit the Yakima Health District website to call a facility to get your second dose scheduled.
Regional and Local Mass Vaccination Site
Five regional mass vaccination sites have opened all over Washington State. These sites are a resource to anyone who resides in Washington State. It is highly recommended to make an appointment in advance. More information on dates, times, locations and registration methods vary by site. For more information visit the Washington State Department of Health website.
Locally, the Yakima Health District has partnered with the Yakima Valley Office of Emergency Management to set up a permanent mass vaccine site at the Central Washington State Fairgrounds. Currently, there are no vaccination events scheduled at this point in time, but it is a resource that is
available to any of our local partners who would like to utilize the space to distribute their vaccine.
The vaccine site was set up in recognition that in Yakima, there must be various options for people to equitable receive the vaccine. The Yakima Health District and its partners are committed to ensuring all community members are able to quickly access the COVID-19 sites if they wish to receive it. In the future, the Yakima Health District will work to have the site permanently open throughout the week as soon as there is enough vaccine available to do so.
In the short-term, YHD will work with partners to set up temporary vaccine sites as resources allow. When these temporary events are scheduled, they will be announced immediately to the public.