Tri-Cities fairgrounds will be COVID vaccination site. It’s one of 4 in WA

The Benton County Fairgrounds in the Tri-Cities is scheduled to start being used as a COVID vaccination site next week as more people became eligible to receive the vaccine.

Anyone 65 or older now is eligible to receive the vaccine. Certain people who are at least 50 and living in a multigenerational household — such as a grandparent living with a grandchild — also may receive the vaccine.

They are in Tier 1 of Phase 1B, which Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Monday was now eligible for the vaccine.

Tier 1 of Phase 1B also was expanded Monday to include people 65 and older, a change from the previously announced minimum age of 70. The change makes another 500,000 people in the state eligible now for the coronavirus vaccine, according to information from the Benton Franklin Health District.

However, the Benton Franklin Health District cautioned that there is not enough vaccine available in the Tri-Cities area yet for everyone now eligible to receive the vaccine immediately.

The Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick is one of four sites in the state — with others in Spokane, Wentachee and just north of Vancouver — that will be used for mass vaccinations, said Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday.

The Washington state Department of Health will coordinate with the National Guard to set up the sites.

There is not yet a way to sign up for a vaccination at the Benton County Fairgrounds, but more details could be available as soon as later this week, according to the local health district.

Starting Monday, Jan. 25, vaccines allocated to the state will be equally distributed between those sites and local clinics and pharmacies to start vaccinating those eligible in Phase 1B.

Vaccine finder

The Washington state Department of Health has started a list of clinics and pharmacies at bit.ly/DOHvaccinefinder that might have the vaccine available. It includes Prosser Memorial Hospital Medical Center (509-788-6035), which on Tuesday was taking phone numbers of people wanting more information.

The Kennewick Safeway pharmacy and On Scene Medical Services in Kennewick also were listed.

However, the Safeway pharmacy did not have the vaccine available yet. On Scene did not immediately return a call from the Tri-City Herald, but people who had reached them were posting on social media that it was not currently serving people over 65 or those in multigenerational households.

The Benton Franklin Health district urges people who believe they are eligible for a vaccine to work with their employers or their medical provider to schedule their vaccination with one provider only.

Washington state residents can use the state’s PhaseFinder to determine if they are eligible for a vaccine. Go to FindYourPhaseWA.org.

Currently it is only identifying if people are eligible for Tier 1 of Phase 1B or Phase 1A. Phase 1A includes health care workers, emergency medical technicians, and residents and staff of long-term care centers.

Those who fall into later phases can leave an email and phone number to be notified as they become eligible to receive it.

Most sites are requiring proof of eligibility before giving a vaccine, and people can print proof or take a screen shot of their eligibility from the PhaseFinder.

Vaccine eligibility

The Benton Franklin Health District said Benton and Franklin counties will continue to prioritize vaccines for people in Phase 1, such as health care workers, who have not yet received their COVID vaccines.

However, it will not preclude the start of vaccinating those in Tier 1 of Phase 1B.

It also clarified who is eligible because they are age 50 and in multigenerational households.

They must be vulnerable or at risk because they are not able to live independently and also have a caregiver living in the home, or have a relative living in the household who works outside the home, or is a caregiver for grandchildren.

People age 50 or older who are able to live independently are not eligible, no matter who else lives in a household, according to the health district.

Once about half the people in the state in Tier 1 of Phase B are estimated to have been vaccinated, the state will open vaccination to the next tiers.

It includes workers who are 50 or older with jobs in agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, K-12 schools, childcare, prisons, jails, detention centers, public transit, and fire and law enforcement.

It will be weeks before enough vaccine may be available locally for most people in Tier 1 of Phase B to be vaccinated.

Vaccine supply

The state is now receiving about 100,000 doses of the COVID vaccine each week, with an estimated increase in doses received of 2% to 5% a week, said Nikki Ostergaard, spokeswoman for the Benton Franklin Health District.

With the 500,000 people newly eligible for the vaccine under the change announced Monday, a total of 1.7 million people in the state are eligible for or have received the COVID vaccine.

There is a lag in reporting how many people in the state have received a vaccine. New requirements for those administering vaccines are intended to address that.

They must use 95% of their vaccine allocations within a week of receiving them and report daily to the state on how much vaccine they have on hand and how many doses they have administered.

The Benton Franklin Health District understands the sense of urgency felt by people seeking the COVID vaccine, it said in a news release.

“People are encouraged to remain patient while individuals who are at highest risk for hospitalizations and death from COVID-19 infection, and those who are at highest risk of spreading the virus because of their working or living circumstances, are vaccinated first,” it said.

“Eventually, everyone who wants a vaccine will get one,” it said.

Vaccine resources

The Benton Franklin Health District as released a list of resources, including through the local health district and the state Department of Health, for people to find out more about the COVID vaccine:

▪ BFHD COVID-19 Website: covid19.bfhd.wa.gov

▪ Phase Finder: FindYourPhaseWA.org (high demand may cause page loading issues)

▪ DOH COVID-19 Vaccine Website: CovidVaccineWA.org

▪ DOH Coronavirus Website: coronavirus.wa.gov

▪ DOH Vaccine Questions Email: covid.vaccine@doh.wa.gov

▪ DOH COVID-19 Assistance Hotline: 1-800-525-0127

This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 10:10 AM.