COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from Washington State Department of Health

||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |||

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration efforts.

As of March 13, more than 2,517,506 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 80% of the 3,165,350 doses that have been delivered to our providers and long-term care programs. Washington is currently averaging 44,165 vaccine doses given each day. This information can be found on the DOH data dashboard under the vaccines tab, which is updated three times per week.

Second doses

Vaccine is the best tool we have to prevent the spread COVID-19. It is important people who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine complete the two-dose series as close to the recommended time interval as possible.

• Two doses of Pfizer should be given three weeks or 21 days apart
• Two doses of Moderna should be given one month or 28 days apart

Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that during the first two months of Washington’s COVID-19 vaccination program about 87.5% of people received their second dose on time, about 9.4% were still within the allowable window when the report concluded, and 3.2% missed their second dose. The report included data from 285,288 Washingtonians who received vaccine by February 21. Washington was close to or the same as the national average in every category measured.

DOH is working with public health officials to identify and address factors negatively affecting people’s ability and willingness to complete the vaccination series. We recommend providers prioritize second doses to ensure series completion, schedule second dose appointments when people receive their first dose of vaccine, send appointment reminders, reschedule missed or canceled appointments and/or clinics, and promote the importance of receiving a second dose for the best protection.

Phase 1B2 is now open

Wednesday Washington entered Phase 1B tier 2 of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine timeline. This advancement opened eligibility to about 740,000 people, including some high-risk critical workers in certain congregate settings, and people 16 years or older who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness.

To get your vaccine, first confirm you are eligible using Phase Finder. Please print or copy the confirmation page and share that information with your vaccine provider for proof of eligibility. If you need help finding a place to get your COVID-19 vaccine, the state’s Vaccine Locator website is a great resource. Those who need further help can call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available.

Allocation update

Washington’s three-week allocation forecast from the federal government shows the state will receive a steady amount of vaccine through the end of March.

• Week of March 21: 345,080 total doses (181,420 first doses, 163,660 second doses)
• Week of March 28: 343,700 total doses (173,020 first doses, 170,680 second doses)
• Week of April 4: 343,700 total doses (173,020 first doses, 170,680 second doses)

This forecast is subject to change as vaccine availability from the federal government may change. In addition to Pfizer and Moderna, this week we found out Washington was allocated 8,400 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is included in the March 21 forecast above. The addition will be sent to counties where allocations were lower to ensure they have a proportional share of vaccine that matches their eligible population.

Although allocation numbers have increased from weeks past, they remain fewer than what providers are requesting. This week providers requested 454,670 doses (239,780 first doses, 214,890 second doses) of vaccine.

Based off current long-term forecasts, April is predicted to be a promising month for vaccination. According to the federal government, next month 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be available across the nation. Of that, about 600,000 doses of vaccine should be allocated to Washington each week. The vaccine will be divided between weekly state allocations and federal strategies, such as the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program.

The DOH website is your source for a healthy dose of information.