'Care-A-Van' Brings Vaccines To Communities Struggling With COVID

OLYMPIA, WA — A new program from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is working to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to the communities that need it most.

The program, called "Care-a-Van", is a mobile vaccine delivery service which launched Tuesday. According to the DOH, the program works with community partners and health jurisdictions to bring more vaccines to priority communities like:

• Counties with vaccine gaps based on race and ethnicity.
• Communities that are socially vulnerable.
• Areas that have had recent COVID-19 outbreaks.
• Communities that have had higher than average COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
• Demographics with lower vaccination rates.

“The launching of the Care-a-Van program is an example of an innovative, community-driven approach to support the tireless COVID-19 vaccination efforts of communities across Washington,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah. “This first-of-its-kind capability at the Washington State Department of Health level will help ensure we reduce any and all barriers for those who want to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.”

From the start, the Washington State Department of Health has promised a vaccine rollout that is equitable and tailored to get the vaccine to those hard-to-reach communities. Organizers say this effort brings that promise to fruition.

“As vaccination rates increase statewide, we are continuing to analyze where and among which groups of people we're seeing lower rates so that we can implement more tailored strategies to reach communities where they are,” said Elizabeth Perez, Director of the Center for Public Affairs & Equity at the Washington State Department of Health.

Communities in need can request a visit from the Care-a-Van by visiting the DOH's website, though the DOH says they'll likely need 30 days notice in advance.

The van may help help the state address the dwindling vaccination rate. As of Sunday, the state had a 7-day average of just 33,160 vaccine doses administered per day. That's well below the state's goal of 45,000 daily doses, a goal it easily met in the past. Of course, one reason it may be dipping is because so many people have already gotten their doses: as of Wednesday, health care providers across Washington have administered more than 7 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.