3rd Pierce County Vaccination Event: Registration Full

GIG HARBOR, WA — After the success of its earlier drive-thru vaccination clinic in Lakewood, the Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department has announced a third vaccination event for this weekend.

Update: At 9:19 a.m., less than 20 minutes after opening registration, TPCHD announced that the event had filled up. Patch will update this story and keep you informed if the department says they can accommodate more. The department has also promised to host similar vaccination clinics in the future.

The event will be Saturday at Chapel Hill Church in Gig Harbor. It will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Slots at the Gig Harbor clinic were expected to fill up fast. The health department says it knows demand is high, but they're asking residents not to reach out to them or to the church in advance of the event.

Like the earlier events, this is a free, drive-thru clinic, meaning those who manage to reserve spots will receive their shots while they remain in their car. Anyone who gets their first dose of the vaccine at these clinics is also allowed to schedule their second dose for a later date.

To qualify for these and future events, a resident must be in Phases 1A or 1B1 of the state's vaccination plan. That includes:

• 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 first of the health department's clinics was held Tuesday in Lakewood. The health department called that event a rousing success, and managed to give a total 1,883 people their first dose of the vaccine throughout the day. The second event is set for the Washington State Fairgrounds Thursday, but registration for that event has closed.

Those who miss the opportunity won't totally be out of luck. The health department has said that similar clinics are likely to be held in the near future, and earlier Wednesday they even allowed 400 extra residents to register for their previously-closed Puyallup event.

The health department also keeps an updated list of health care providers and pharmacies offering the vaccine on their website at www.tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture.