County officials provide detailed update on vaccinations

Thurston County has received 13,925 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of today. County health officials have asked for patience as they expect it to take weeks to work through the approximately 70,000 people currently eligible for vaccination.

“This has to do with supply of the vaccine at a national level,” said Dr. Dimyana Abdelmalek, county health officer. “We are hopeful that when supply increases, we’ll be able to speed up the vaccination process.”

Sixty-two Thurston County residents have died from the novel coronavirus, according to county health data. The youngest victim was 32 years old.

Who is eligible now for a vaccination? 

Currently, in accordance with the statewide plan to administer the vaccine in phases, the following are eligible for vaccination:

• High-risk medical first responders.
• Residents and staff of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other community-based, congregate living settings where most individuals over 65 years of age are receiving care, supervision, or assistance.
• All workers in healthcare settings.
• All people 65 years and older.
• People 50 years and older who live in multigenerational households.
  • Cannot live independently and receives support from a relative or home caregiver, or being cared for by someone who works outside the home.
  • Lives with and cares for a young child, along the lines of a grandparent with a grandchild.
  • This group does not include an older adult who is able to live independently and is taking care of their kin/children.

Streamlining processes

The Thurston County Board of Commissioners voted today to waive certain criteria for contracting with outside agencies and organizations. The waiver allows the county to forego competitive bidding for services. This will allow Thurston County’s Department of Health and Social Services to form a network of outside experts and health providers who can expedite the vaccination process, without being slowed by governmental red tape.

“The county is doing everything it can to streamline our processes, especially if they’re administrative processes so that we are able to expedite delivery of the vaccine when it becomes available,” said Assistant County Manager Robin Campbell during Tuesday’s meeting. “… We’re going to need help from professionals throughout the county … who have the skills and the authorization to actually give vaccinations.”

This waiver will help the county to partner with multiple individuals and organizations that can administer the vaccine when additional doses arrive. Although the current number of doses that have been received is less than the number of people currently eligible for vaccination, Public Health and Social Services Director Schelli Slaughter said there will be an additional 9,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 975 of the Pfizer vaccine arriving this week.

Vaccination events coming

Slaughter said there have been a few vaccination events throughout the county. Last week, the county’s health department partnered with Providence St. Peter Hospital for a three-day event where 2,400 doses were given. Another event over the weekend, held at the Public Health and Social Services office provided another 100 doses. Additional vaccination events will be planned, but are reliant on the number of doses on-hand, said Slaughter. Mobile teams have administered doses at senior living facilities, and future vaccination events are planned for other facilities.

Additionally, the county is working to establish mass-vaccination sites at the Thurston County Fairground and South Puget Sound Community College. They are likely to be up and running the second week of February, said Slaughter.

To learn more about the vaccine, including resources necessary to receive a vaccination, visit the county’s vaccine webpage: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/phss/Coronavirus/Pages/coronavirus-vaccine-info.aspx