WA hospitals hesitant to schedule, then cancel COVID vaccinations January 20, 2021 at 6:28 am
Colleen D Amico, a clinical pharmacist with Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) administers a shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, to frontline workers at the SIHB on Dec. 21, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images).
Some of the largest hospitals in Washington state say they won’t follow Governor Inslee’s suggestion to try to speed up coronavirus vaccinations by making appointments then canceling them if there’s a supply problem or they don’t have enough doses.
“Part of why we’re reluctant to schedule people for appointments when we don’t know the doses are coming is because people are already impatient, and to make someone a promise and then pull it back, I think is really challenging,” said Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer.
The Washington State Department of Health expects that the vaccine site in Spokane will be up and running by Monday, Jan. 25. It will likely be indoors.
The Washington State Department of Health, in partnership with Microsoft AI for Health, has added data on vaccine distribution to its coronavirus data dashboard, as has Public HealthâSeattle and King County. The state s numbers are updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; King County s are updated daily, excluding weekends. Both offer a snapshot of our progress toward preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Of note: The state s current goal is to vaccinate about 70 percent of the population above age 16 to achieve herd immunity. The percentages in its dashboard, however, are calculated using the total populations of the state and its counties, not the total amount of people 16-plus. So progress is slightly underestimated. King County s dashboard, however, bases its numbers on the 16-plus population.
Good news came out of Olympia last week, as well as Boise more than two weeks ago. COVID-19 vaccine availability has increased to the point where basically anyone who needs to get the jab can. Itâs paid for as well, so in order to do my part to get back to normal â and I mean REAL normal â I… More Headlines
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January 18, 2021 5:05 PM Emily Oliver
Updated:
PC: Washington State DOH
SPOKANE, Wash. Washington has formally moved to Phase 1B of its vaccine rollout plan, which now grants eligibility to any Washingtonian above the age of 65 or anyone above the age of 50 living in a multi-generational household.
The Washington State Department of Health has launched the Phase Finder tool to help you determine when will you be able to get a vaccine and the site also provides information on where vaccines are available.
The state expects to begin Phase B2 in February, which will include high-risk critical workers over 50, as well as people working in agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, education, corrections and public transportation. Phase B3 will include people ages 16 or older with two or more co-morbidities or underlying conditions and Phase B4 will include high-risk critical care workers under 50, as well as people working in correctional facili