900+ vaccinated Tuesday at Tri-Cities fairgrounds. Fastest day yet
Just over 900 people were vaccinated against the coronavirus at the drive-thru clinic at the Benton County Fairgrounds on Tuesday.
The vaccinations were the fastest yet, with as many as 189 shots given per hour, according to the Southeast Washington Incident Management Team.
The 907 people vaccinated Tuesday bring the total at the site to 4,724 in six days.
Most people, with the exception of opening day, had appointments. But extra doses also are given out many afternoons.
A holding line forms most afternoons that the drive-thru is open — this week Tuesday through Saturday — for any vaccine not used for people who have registered.
People eligible for the vaccine — such as those age 65 and older — are welcome to wait in the line, but there is no set time that the line forms and no guarantee they will receive a vaccine.
Organizers try to estimate how many extra vaccines there will be to make sure not too many cars are allowed into the holding line.
There may be extra doses to give out if people with appointments did not show up or if some vaccine vials are filled full enough to provide an additional dose.
People with appointments are asked to come early on the day of their appointment to help organizers track whether there will be extra doses for those in the holding line.
Making appointments
The only way to ensure getting a vaccine at the fairgrounds in Kennewick is to make an appointment at PrepMod.doh.wa.gov.
Click on “Find a Vaccine.” On the next page you do not need to fill out the form at the top of the page.
Instead, scroll down to look for the Benton County Fairgrounds clinics listed for the next several days this week and whether any appointments are currently available.
People without internet access may call the Washington state Department of Health “COVID-19 Assistance Hotline” (1-800-525-0127, then press #) during regular business hours. An operator will fill out a registration form over the phone if any appointments are available.
Appointments filled quickly when registration for this week’s vaccinations opened Friday afternoon, but there may be an occasional opening due to a cancellation.
The Benton Franklin Health District also maintains a list of places that may be giving vaccines — primarily pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics — at bit.ly/BFHDvaccinesites.
The Tri-Cities Community Health Clinic in Pasco is no longer taking walk-ins for vaccines as it uses its doses for frontline health care workers and people ready for their second dose of the vaccine.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 5:52 PM.