News Flash

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 24, 2021

COVID-19 vaccine opportunities expand in Southwest Washington

LONGVIEW, Washington — Last week, Cowlitz County entered Phase 1B (Tier 1) of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan, opening eligibility to people who are age 65 or older and people age 50 or older who live in multigenerational households.

People eligible in Phase 1A or Phase 1B (Tier 1) could work with their healthcare provider to schedule an appointment. Those without a healthcare provider were asked to call or email Cowlitz County Health and Human Services for assistance with getting vaccinated.

Local health care facilities received limited COVID-19 vaccine last week and some facilities will not receive any additional COVID-19 vaccine this week. Therefore, opportunities for eligible people to get vaccinated were limited until local health care facilities received additional vaccine.

However, on Tuesday, Washington State Department of Health will open a vaccination site at the Clark County Fairgrounds. Vaccine will be administered by appointment only. The state Department of Health estimates vaccinating up to 540 people per day next week, with capacity increasing in the coming weeks as vaccine supply increases.

Cowlitz County Health and Human Services recommends those who are eligible to be vaccinated seek an appointment at the fairgrounds vaccination site. Visit the Department of Health website for more information and to schedule an appointment at the fairgrounds.

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

Details about additional vaccination sites, including locations and opening dates, are not yet available. Updates will be provided in the coming days. For more information about vaccine distribution, visit the Cowlitz County Health and Human Services vaccine webpage.

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