Updated: Appointments open for COVID vaccine 2nd doses at Tri-Cities fairgrounds

Appointments have been posted for the drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Tri-Cities fairgrounds this week and more could be added.

The Washington state Department of Health allowed people to start signing up for second doses of the vaccine Sunday morning.

Hundreds of appointments were posted for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, through Saturday, Feb. 27. They were gone within a couple of hours.

They were in addition to appointments for this week earlier claimed by people who had appointments last week at the Benton County Fairgrounds that were canceled.

No vaccine was shipped to the Tri-Cities last week because of snowy weather in the Eastern United States.

All appointments posted Sunday were for the vaccine doses that are on their way to the Tri-Cities as part of last week’s allocation, according to the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team.

It said on Sunday afternoon that it was still awaiting word on whether the Kennewick fairgrounds would also receive this week’s allotment.

Anyone seeking their second dose at the fairgrounds should continue checking prepmod.doh.wa.gov frequently, it said.

All appointments at the fairgrounds this week are for second doses, as the Washington state Department of Health prioritizes getting more people fully vaccinated.

People who received vaccines the first two weeks the Benton County Fairgrounds clinic was open — the weeks of Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 — now can receive second “booster” doses.

The Pfizer vaccine second dose can be given 21 days after the first and the Moderna vaccine can be given 28 days after the first.

People should bring the COVID-19 vaccination record card they received when they got their first shot to their appointment. It includes the type and date of their first dose.

People who cannot find their card may be able to access their vaccination record at the Washington state Department of Health’s online immunization records system at wa.myir.net.

They also should bring confirmation of their appointment, either from a copy or screen shot of the email they were sent.

To register

To register for a second dose, go to prepmod.doh.wa.gov and click on “Find a Clinic.”

On the next page scroll down to find appointments available by location and date.

If no appointments are listed, keep checking back for newly added appointments or any cancellations.

People who cannot register online may call the state COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 800-525-0127 and press #.

It is staffed 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays.

The fairgrounds will continue allowing car holding lines to form to use up any extra vaccine daily, but it will only be for people seeking their second doses. They also will need their vaccination record card.

Those trying to find a dose of the vaccine that protects against the coronavirus also may check bit.ly/BFHDvaccinesites, where the Benton Franklin Health District maintains a list of places that may be giving vaccines — primarily pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics.

The local health district recommended that people with internet access check pharmacy web pages for vaccination availability and sign-up information to avoid overwhelming their phone lines.

The Richland Senior Association also has started a toll-free help line for people without internet access or without the computer skills to navigate online sign-up sites. Call 800-595-4070 and leave a voicemail message.

This story was originally published February 21, 2021 at 12:22 PM.