Snohomish County scaling back mass vaccination sites
Jun 1, 2021, 12:30 PM
People wait to be vaccinated for COVID-19 at the drive-through Arlington airport site. (MyNorthwest photo)
(MyNorthwest photo)
Snohomish County plans to scale back its mass vaccination sites, starting by ending first doses of Moderna shots.
“Fairly soon, we’ll be issuing the last first doses of Pfizer,” said Jason Biermann, director of Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management. “We’re going to continue second doses for all the folks who’ve received a first dose.”
The county is reporting that there is more vaccine supply than demand, and it will focus more of its efforts on community-based settings. However, Biermann is encouraged by the number of people who are getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Twenty-five thousand people were vaccinated between May 18 and May 25. Over 16,000 got their first dose of the two-dose vaccine regimen,” Biermann said.
So far, 49% of residents eligible to receive a vaccine are fully vaccinated in Snohomish County.
Among those interested in the vaccine are the youth.
Dr. Chris Spitters, health officer for Snohomish Health District, said: “In the few weeks since the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for those 12 and up, now up to 27% of those 12-15 years of age in the county have initiated vaccination as of May 27.”
Will the Memorial Day weekend have a negative impact on our state’s COVID-19 case rates?
“Only time will tell,” Spitters said.
He added that it will depend on how Washingtonians spent the holiday weekend as “outdoors is better than indoors, spaced out is better than crowded together, and vaccinated is much better, much, much better, than unvaccinated.”
