Here’s help finding COVID vaccine appointments in Tri-Cities

Finding a place to get the COVID-19 vaccine in the Tri-Cities area is easier than ever.

The Washington state Department of Health has improved its online vaccine locator to make it easier for those eligible for the vaccine to find a dose and make an appointment at a convenient location.

In addition, those using the Washington state Department of Health telephone hotline to schedule a vaccination appointment should spend less time on hold starting next week.

To look for a place offering COVID vaccines, go to vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov, type in your zip code and you’ll get a list of all locations with vaccines available within 50 miles.

Most locations listed say whether appointments are available, with availability information frequently updated.

On Thursday afternoon, seven Tri-Cities pharmacies were listed as having appointments available, along with a Saturday vaccine clinic at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

More appointments were available in Prosser, Walla Walla, Sunnyside and Grandview, the vaccine locator said.

The site can be used with multiple languages and on devices from laptops to cell phones, according to the Washington state Department of Health.

In addition, you can check the Benton County Fairgrounds mass vaccination drive-thru site for open appointments at prepmod.doh.wa.gov.

Find a clinic

Click on “Find a Clinic.” On the next page scroll down to find appointments by date and location. Be sure to check all pages.

Some appointments were still open late Thursday for Friday. Appointments for the coming week are usually posted Friday afternoon, but occasionally not until the weekend.

To make an appointment by phone, call the Washington state Department of Health at 800-525-0127.

Hold times have been lengthy at times, but starting Monday a team of Amazon call center representatives will be added to the current hotline staff.

The improvements to the vaccine appointment system and hotline come as employers such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, Costco, Expedia, Kaiser Permanente and Providence have offered their help and expertise to the state’s vaccine effort.

This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.