Update: No Tri-Cities slots left this week for drive-thru COVID vaccines. What’s next

All registration times for the remainder of this week have been reserved for the free, drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick.

Preregistration will open for next week after organizers know how many doses of vaccine the site will be allocated. Preregistration now is required to get a shot at the fairgrounds.

They expect to get information this weekend on the doses that should be shipped to the fairgrounds over the weekend, but no time has been given on when online registration for next week will open.

The site is expected to be operating Tuesday through Saturday next week, depending on how much vaccine is received. A new shipment is expected Monday morning and that day will be used to get the shipment ready for Tuesday vaccinations rather than opening a partial day on Monday.

Local organizers do not know in advance whether they will receive the Pfizer or the Moderna COVID vaccine. They gave both kinds of shots this week.

On Wednesday the fairgrounds drive-thru clinic vaccinated 1,062 people.

That brings the total for the three days the site has operated to more than 2,400.

About 500 people were expected to be vaccinated Thursday and 300 on Friday.

About 100 vaccines are being held back, said Pasco Fire Chief Bob Gear, the incident commander for the Southeast Washington Incident Management Team at the fairgrounds.

They will be used for people who obviously are old enough to qualify to be vaccinated but do not have the skills or means to preregister online.

However, most people who show up at the fairgrounds without preregistering for an appointment can expect to be turned away.

Shorter fairground lines

No unusual reactions to the vaccine have been reported. Participants wait 15 minutes to 30 minutes after their vaccination before they return home.

The average time each person receiving a vaccine spent at the site on Wednesday was down to one hour, according to the Southeast Washington Incident Management Team.

“We are pleased to report that the site continues to run at an extremely efficient pace,” it said.

Washington Major General Bret Daugherty, who commands Washington National Guard forces, visited the site Wednesday, and complimented its smooth operation. National Guard forces are staffing the site.

To preregister for a vaccine at the fairgrounds next week, go to prepmod.doh.wa.gov. Those who cannot initially find an appointment time should keep checking back.

Preregistration also is available by calling 800-525-0127 and pressing #.

Call volumes have been high, says the Washington state Department of Health.

You will need to bring your confirmation of registration and proof of eligibility with you to the fairgrounds, either by printing them out or showing a screen shot on a cell phone or electronic tablet. To confirm eligibility, go to FindYourPhaseWA.org.

Currently, vaccines are only being given to people 65 or older and certain people 50 and older living in multigenerational households. Health care employees and the staff and residents of long-term care facilities for the elderly also are eligible.

You may also be asked to show a driver’s license, letter with your address, school or work identification, or other proof that you live or work in Washington state.

The state’s four mass vaccination clinics are only for the Washington state’s residents or workers, said the Washington state Department of Health on Wednesday. Other states, like Oregon, receive their own supply for their residents and workers.

A large majority of American adults plan to get the COVID vaccine, the U.S. Census Bureau said on Wednesday based on a recent survey.

About 8% have received a vaccination. Of those who haven’t, 51% of those surveyed said they would definitely get the vaccine and an additional 26% said they probably would.

The results were based on 68,348 responses to invitations sent to 1,037, 972 households.

This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 6:16 PM.