Now open. New appointments posted for Tri-Cities COVID vaccines

Thousands of COVID-19 vaccine appointment openings for the coming week at the Tri-Cities fairgrounds were posted online Saturday morning.

And at noon Sunday appointments will open for a vaccine clinic Thursday at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds.

Statewide about 45,000 doses of COVID-19 are being administered each day, meeting a goal set by Gov. Jay Inslee.

In the coming week, the federal government will ship 309,770 doses of vaccine to Washington. It is 100,000 fewer than providers have requested.

The shipment will include 163,660 doses for people getting their first shot and 146,110 booster doses. Moderna and Pfizer vaccine require two shots to be fully effective.

The state received about 61,000 doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine as part of its allocation for the past week, but is not expected to receive more for another three weeks due to the lack of supply.

The federal government projects increasing its allocations to Washington state to 320,300 doses the week of March 14 and 327,320 doses the week of March 21.

Tri-Cities fairgrounds

To get an appointment at the Benton County Fairgrounds, go to prepmod.doh.wa.gov/clinic/search. Scroll down to find openings by location and date, and be sure to check all pages.

Registration for open appointments also may be made by calling the Washington state COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 800-525-0127 and pressing #.

The Tri-Cities fairgrounds will be giving both first and second dose vaccines Tuesday though Saturday.

If this is your first COVID vaccine dose you will need to provide proof of eligibility, which is available at FindYourPhaseWA.org.

If it is your second dose, you will need to bring the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card you were given when you received your first dose. If you have misplaced it, you may be able to access your vaccination record at the state Department of Health site wa.myir.net.

Those currently eligible in Washington state include educators and childcare workers; people 65 and older; some people 50 and older living in multigenerational households; health care workers; and residents and employees of long-term care facilities for the elderly.

Although educators and childcare workers may get a vaccine at the fairgrounds, the Washington state Department of Health is urging them to check for openings at pharmacies.

The federal government has told pharmacies to prioritize teachers and other educators for the vaccine doses it supplies them this month. Many pharmacies receive a vaccine allocation separate from the state’s allocation.

Walla Walla, other clinics

Registration will open at noon Sunday, March 7, for a vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, March 11.

It will be at the Pavilion Building of the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds, 363 Orchard St., Walla Walla.

First doses of vaccine will be given.

Register for an appointment by scrolling down to “Schedule an Appointment” at covidwwc.com/clinics or going to prepmod.doh.wa.gov/clinic/search.

For more places that may have vaccine available, check the Benton Franklin Health District’s list at bit.ly/BFHDvaccinesites. The list includes primarily pharmacies, hospitals and medical clinics.

The Washington state Department of Health also maintains a list by county at www.covidvaccinewa.org.

This story was originally published March 6, 2021 at 5:00 AM.