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The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), with assistance from the Washington National Guard and local and private sector partners, will launch four mass vaccination sites throughout the state this week. Announced by Gov. Jay Inslee on Jan. 18, the sites are located in Kennewick, Ridgefield, Spokane and Wenatchee. They will be open by appointment only to people who pre-registered and are eligible for the vaccine under Phase 1A or 1B-1.

Based on current allocations for the state of Washington, the initial goal is to have enough vaccine to provide approximately 500 vaccinations per site, per day. In the beginning it will be less, as sites ramp up to that goal and beyond. To ensure success, a limited number of initial appointments will be accepted to start, and some sites will have reached capacity for week one quickly. Washingtonians should not be discouraged. Sites will eventually have the capacity for larger numbers of people as more vaccine becomes available.

To get a vaccine, individuals should first confirm they are eligible using Phase Finder. Once confirmed, the next step is to make an appointment. Details are available on the DOH mass vaccination page. Each mass vaccination site is currently using a different registration system.

To make an appointment in Spokane, go here

Location - Spokane Arena: Open seven days a week. Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat-Sun, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To make an appointment in Ridgefield,go here or call 1-800-525-0127, then press #

Location - Clark County Fairgrounds: Tue-Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To make an appointment in Wenatchee, go here or call 1-800-525-0127, then press #

Location - Town Toyota Center: Tue-Sat, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m

To make an appointment in Kennewick,go here or call 1-800-525-0127, then press #

Location - Tri-Cities Fairgrounds: Tue-Sat, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Start dates were determined by the arrival of vaccine. Ridgefield, Wenatchee and Kennewick will administer Pfizer BioNTech, which will be delivered Monday afternoon and requires time to thaw. Spokane will administer Moderna. On Monday, sites will focus on pre-vaccination planning and preparation.

Advanced registration is required for vaccine appointments and individuals should not expect to make appointments onsite. Those without appointments will be turned away. All sites will have language access lines available, and some sites may have bilingual staff.

“As our vaccine allocations increase, these sites will provide additional capacity to get people vaccinated quickly and efficiently across the state,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “With much less supply of vaccine than people currently eligible, it is going to take time which will require patience from all of us. I want to thank our partners who are working together to help us build the infrastructure needed to reach our goal of 45,000 vaccinations a day.”

Clinics, pharmacies and health care providers will still be offering vaccine. If a health care provider or pharmacy reaches out with the opportunity to get vaccinated, Washingtonians should not wait to get vaccinated. More information on other sites across the state that are open to the public can be found on the DOH vaccine locations page.

E. White

About E. White