As Vaccine Demand Softens, Hesitancy & Accessibility Enter Focus

OLYMPIA, WA — Washington's top health officials are counting on the COVID-19 vaccine to curb the current wave of coronavirus transmissions. But if they're going to rely on vaccines to end this pandemic, that also means they'll have to do more to get doses into the arms of residents who may have difficulty accessing health care, or holdouts who are on the fence about vaccination.

At the Washington State Department of Health's (DOH) weekly pandemic briefing Wednesday, health leaders expressed concerns that there had been a "softening" in the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine.

"We're so close, but we need everybody's help," said Michele Roberts, Acting Assistant Secretary of Health. "We are concerned about what looks like some slowdown in vaccination rates and numbers."

Supply remains a limiting factor as well — Washington is set to receive just under 400,000 vaccine doses each week this month, less than health care providers have traditionally requested — but demand does appear to be on the decline. The latest DOH data shows that under 81 percent of the doses allocated to Washington have been actually been administered, down from percentages in the 90s in previous months. The number of daily vaccinations appears to have shrunk as well: in the past the state had administered more than 60,000 vaccines a day some weeks, but the current 7-day average is around 48,000 doses per day.

To turn those flagging numbers around, the DOH says their next big project is expanding vaccine access to help those who have had difficulty finding a shot thus far.

"As we get into this next phase of the vaccine effort, it's not just about the numbers. It's going to really be focusing on those very difficult-to-reach populations," said Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah. "That is going to be absolutely critical for us."

One way the DOH is doing that is through the addition of a new vaccine help line, 833-VAX-HELP, which offers vaccine advice and assistance from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and on state holidays.

Another is through a private partnership with Lyft and Uber, which will soon be offering free and discounted rides to passengers with vaccine appointments.

“Our priority is to make it easy for all Washingtonians, regardless of resources, to overcome barriers to transportation when trying to get vaccinated,” said Vaccine Action Command and Coordination System Director Dan Laster.

Starting May 10, anyone who needs help getting transportation to a vaccine appointment will be able to find it by calling the 833-VAX-HELP hotline. Organizers say hotline specialists will then help coordinate free rides with the rideshare companies.

“Access to reliable transportation represents a major barrier to healthcare for many Washingtonians, especially for vulnerable communities,” said Chris Thomas, Senior Director of Public Policy for Western U.S. Lyft. “We're proud to be working with the State, community organizations and our longstanding partners, United Way and Washington 211, to address transportation barriers and support equitable vaccine access for those who need it most.”

Sound Transit and Pierce Transit are already offering similar programs.

The DOH isn't the only agency trying to reach out to the unvaccinated — some are even offering incentives to get vaccinated in efforts to address vaccine hesitancy. The Seattle Sounders FC are offering free hot dogs to anyone who gets vaccinated at their home games. Vaccinated sports fans will also find it easier to buy tickets thanks to guidance from the state that allows arenas to open larger, vaccinated-only seating sections.

Other programs are trying to reach the unvaccinated by eliminating as many hurdles as possible. Seattle is now allowing appointment-free walk-ups at three of its city-run sites. The same is true of a Tacoma - Pierce County Health Department vaccine clinic in Lakewood.

Health leaders are cautiously optimistic that these efforts will bolster demand, and fast. Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a two-week pause on phase changes as it became clear that many counties would be forced back into earlier phases of the Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery plan. The hope is that during the pause vaccination rates will go up, and case counts will decline, avoiding any rocky rollbacks.

"The pause gives families and individuals a chance to get vaccinated and drive down case counts while we at the Department of Health continue to review data," Shah said.

According to Shah, if the state can keep vaccination rates from falling further and maintain the April's pace for the next two months, half of Washingtonians could be fully vaccinated by the end of June. But for that to happen, everyone will need to do their part, health leaders say.

"If you haven't been vaccinated yet, what are you waiting for?" asked Roberts.