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NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 22, 2021

Counties, incident management team continue planning efforts for vaccination sites in Southwest Washington

LONGVIEW, Washington — Cowlitz County Health and Human Services, Clark County Public Health, Skamania County Community Health and Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 3 continue to develop plans for opening community vaccination sites throughout the three-county region.

The Type 1 incident management team arrived in Clark County Tuesday afternoon, bringing federal, state and local representatives experienced in managing complex incidents to Southwest Washington. The counties and the team are pursuing plans for multiple mobile and fixed-location community vaccination sites.

The team is working to identify locations throughout Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties where vaccination sites could be held. These sites will be critical to ensuring high-risk populations in Southwest Washington have access to COVID-19 vaccination.

The intent is to position sites in locations where residents have not been able to easily access vaccine and among communities and populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including communities of color and critical workers in congregate settings.

In the short term, these efforts could include mobile sites at adult family homes that are not enrolled in the federal program that utilizes pharmacies to vaccinate staff and residents in long-term care facilities. As more groups of people become eligible to be vaccinated, mobile sites could be located at food processing facilities, schools or other facilities with critical workers.

Details about the vaccination sites, including locations and opening dates, are not yet available. Updates will be provided in the coming days.

The effort to open community vaccination sites in Southwest Washington will require collaboration with the Washington State Department of Health. Funding support and vaccine supply from the state will be critical for ensuring the success of these sites.

The regional effort to establish community vaccination sites is separate from Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement to open a community vaccination site at the Clark County Fairgrounds next week. The Washington State Department of Health is the lead agency organizing the opening of that site and will provide additional details at a later date.

Providers in Cowlitz County are continuing to vaccinate people who are eligible in Phase 1A (Tier 1 and Tier 2). Providers are also beginning to vaccinate those who are eligible in Phase 1B (Tier 1), which consists of people who are age 65 or older and people age 50 or older and who live in multigenerational households.

Due to limited supply and provider capacity, not everyone who is eligible will be able to get vaccinated right away. Cowlitz County Health and Human Services is asking the public to remain patient as providers await allocations from the state.

People who are currently eligible to be vaccinated may work with their healthcare provider to schedule an appointment. Those who are eligible and do not have a healthcare provider may call Cowlitz County Health and Human Services at (360) 414-5599, ext. 6425 or email askcowlitzhealth@co.cowlitz.wa.us for assistance with getting vaccinated.

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