Fire up your computers. Registration could open Friday for more Tri-Cities COVID vaccinations

Registration for next week’s COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the Benton County Fairgrounds could open as soon as Friday, Feb. 5, afternoon.

This week’s appointments were posted about 3:30 p.m. last Friday and filled by early evening.

However, no official time has been set for the start of registration for the coming week and those wanting appointments may need to keep checking the site through the weekend for the opening of registration.

This week vaccinations were scheduled at the fairgrounds Tuesday through Saturday. Next week fewer days may be available, but with more vaccines given on each day, as staffing is available to vaccinate people at multiple stations at the same time.

The limiting factor for giving shots remains the availability of vaccine doses, with the allotment for the fairgrounds drive-thru clinic next week not expected to be known until Friday or possibly Saturday.

This week, about 900 shots a day were given.

And people were spending an average of less than 45 minutes on site, including the wait time after their shot of at least 15 minutes to make sure they had no unusual reactions.

The federal government provides vaccines to states, with Washington state distributing doses to clinics and providers across the state. In addition, the federal government has announced plans to provide some doses directly to pharmacies.

Fairgrounds registration

To register for a vaccination at the fairgrounds next week, go to 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 each day that registration is open 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, but wait times may be long.

An operator will fill out a registration form over the phone if any appointments are available.

The Richland Senior Association also has started a toll-free help line for seniors who don’t have computer access or are having trouble navigating online appointment systems.

Call 800-595-4070 and leave a voicemail message with your name, phone number and what you are calling about. A volunteer will pick up the message and call you back.

They can register people over the phone if there is an open appointment available and also can help people obtain their proof of eligibility that many clinics are requiring for a COVID vaccine.

Extra vaccine doses

Those who don’t get an appointment at the fairgrounds next week before initial appointments should keep checking back for openings due to a cancellation or extra vaccine.

In addition, a holding line of cars is allowed to form some afternoons at the fairgrounds if organizers think there might be some leftover vaccine after everyone with appointments for the day has received their vaccine.

On one recent day there were just three doses left for people in the holding line and another day 24 doses were left, said Ben Shearer with the Southeast Washington Incident Management Team, speaking on the Kadlec on Call podcast.

Only people eligible for the vaccine are allowed in the holding line. Proof of eligibility is obtained at FindYourPhaseWA.org.

Those currently eligible for the vaccine in Washington state include people 65 or older; people 50 or older in certain multigeneration households; health care workers; and people living or working in long-term care facilities for the elderly.

To help organizers at the fairground estimate how many doses they could have leftover for the holding line, people are asked to come early for their appointment times. For example, those with afternoon appointments may come in the morning of the same day of their appointment.

Vaccinations typically start to be given about 8:30 a.m. on the days the drive-thru clinic is open.

There have been no unusual reactions to the COVID vaccine reported at the fairgrounds, but ambulances are standing by if needed.

More vaccination sites

The Benton Franklin Health District also maintains a list of places that may be giving vaccines for protection against the coronavirus — primarily pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics — at bit.ly/BFHDvaccinesites.

Those vaccine appointments are mostly available through internet sign up and also fill quickly.

Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland planned to give 500 COVID-19 vaccines Thursday, Jan. 4.

The registration was announced on its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon and two hours later the hospital posted that appointments were filled.

This story was originally published February 4, 2021 at 12:01 PM.