Inslee Announces More Vaccine Shipments As WA Hits New Milestones

OLYMPIA, WA — The federal government will boost Washington's coronavirus vaccine allotment by 16 percent over the next three weeks, and include special syringes that allow health care providers to squeeze an extra dose out of each vial from Pfizer, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday.

"Having a 16 percent increase is really great news," Inslee said. "It's also great news that they're giving us certainty in those deliveries. Our providers have been bedeviled with uncertainty and unpredictability of the delivery schedule."

The welcome news comes one day after Washington celebrated two immunization milestones, reporting a record of 40,000 doses administered across the state in 24 hours and surpassing 500,000 given in just over a month.

In a news release, Gov. Jay Inslee said Washington's recent gains helped grow the 7-day rolling average to 23,960 doses administered per day, inching closer to the state's goal of 45,000.

"We have taken action, we expanded our distribution and infrastructure and it is working," Inslee said Monday. "We still have a long way to go, but if Washingtonians have proven anything throughout this pandemic, it is that we are up to the task."

According to the governor's office, nearly 900 providers have successfully enrolled to help administer vaccines to date, and close to 500 more are awaiting final approval.

Since the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines rolled out in December, Washington and other states have navigated challenges with the supply chain and faced a cloud of uncertainty over future shipments that has complicated long-term planning efforts. State leaders have repeatedly called on the federal government to ramp up vaccine distribution efforts and provide clear expectations for the weeks and months ahead.

"This is really great news that in such short order the Biden administration has been able to produce an increase of supply, which is the ultimate issue that we have to deal with," Inslee said.

Accomplishing the state's goals in a reasonable timeline will take a considerable boost in supply. State health officials say 1.7 million Washingtonians are already eligible, but the state was only receiving about 100,000 doses per week before Tuesday's announcement.

"The Department of Health is working to expedite the urgently needed vaccination of Washington state residents," said Dr. Umair Shah, the state Secretary of Health. "The reality is, there are more people eligible to receive a vaccine in Phase 1B, Tier 1 than first doses available, so we appreciate everyone's patience as we stand up a state supported, regionally coordinated, and locally benefitted approach to tackle this challenge."

In preparation for the eventual influx of supply, the state Department of Health began opening its mass vaccination facilities this week, and the state's three largest counties are working to stand up high-volume sites of their own.

Residents can learn more about vaccination providers near them, check their eligibility status and keep tabs on the state's vaccination progress via the DOH website.