WA Coronavirus Vaccine Hub: Where, Who And How To Get Immunized

WASHINGTON — The vaccine rollout in Washington, as with much of the country, has faced its fair share of hurdles that have left residents feeling frustrated.

Still, more and more people are getting shots every day, and the state has been giving about 26,380 shots per day on average, according to department of health. State officials have aimed to increase daily vaccinations to 45,000 per day as soon as possible, and it’s not too far off in the future when the vaccine will be available to the general public.

The vaccine is being administered at state run mass vaccination sites in Spokane, Ridgefield, Wenatchee and Kennewick as well as at smaller countywide sites. Pharmacies are also beginning to vaccinate eligible residents.

The state has also pledged to ensure equity in vaccine distribution with State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah saying the state will be adopting a "more intentional, pro-equity approach. According to the secretary of health, Hispanic, Black and multiracial Washingtonians have all been underserved by recent vaccination efforts.

"We are committed to taking immediate action to improve our vaccine distribution efforts from an equity perspective, and ensuring equitable and culturally responsive actions, particularly for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19," Shah said.

The first step in getting your vaccination appointment scheduled is to see if you're eligible to get it now.

As of Feb. 24, the coronavirus vaccine is available to the following Washington residents:

• Health care workers.
• Medical first responders.
• Residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
• Anyone 65 and older.
• Residents 50 or older and who live in a multigenerational household.

The next Washingtonians to become eligible will be high-risk critical workers 50 and older who work in congregate settings including: agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, K-12 education, prisons, jails and detention centers, public transit, fire and law enforcement. That group is expected to become eligible some time in spring or early summer.

Where To Get Vaccinated

Vaccine supplies remain scarce, but state and local health leaders maintain updated lists of health care providers offering the vaccine. You can find a vaccine provider near you by checking:

• The Washington State Department of Health's list of vaccination locations by county.
• King County's vaccine hub
• Pierce County's vaccine hub

You may also want to consider checking covidwa.com, a volunteer-run website that allows users to search for vaccine providers by zip code, and offers information about vaccine availability not found on state-run sites.

Other vaccine resources for Washingtonians include:

• The state COVID-19 assistance hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-525-0127 or 1-888-856-5816.
  • The hotline is available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mon-Fri and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
• WA Phase Finder, which allows users to determine their vaccine eligibility and sign up for future alerts.