State recognizes difficulty finding booster shots, assures there is ‘plenty of supply’
Dec 22, 2021, 5:00 AM
Safeway pharmacist Shahrzad Khoobyari (R) prepares to give a Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccination to Chen Knifsend at a vaccination booster shot clinic in California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
About one-quarter of Washington state’s total population has received COVID booster shots, and another million will become eligible next month.
State health officials hope to have more at-home COVID tests available soon
The Washington State Department of Health says there are enough booster shots for everyone, but there are not enough appointments to meet demand at this time.
“[We’re] working with the health care system, hospitals, primary care, our mobile teams, our Care-A-Van to offer more access points. We know that that’s one of the limitations right now,” said SheAnne Allen, the state’s COVID-19 vaccine director.
“The department of health and our partners are really diving deeper to identify additional strategies to offer more booster availability across our state,” she added.
The state’s Secretary of Health, Dr. Umair Shah, says South King County is one of those areas where there is a lack of appointments.
“There are certain areas, geographically, where there may be more of that supply-demand mismatch, if you will,” Dr. Shah said.
A mobile vaccine station that had been in Thurston County was moved to Federal Way this week to help fix that “mismatch.”
“We’ve got plenty of supply, it’s just making sure that it gets to the right places,” Shah said.
Rise of omicron variant in Seattle prompts demand for testing, boosters
Dr. Shah also says more vaccine clinics are being set up, and it should be far easier to get an appointment for a booster shot after the first of the year.
Find COVID-19 vaccine appointments with the state’s Vaccine Locator here.
