After months of restricting COVID-19 vaccine supplies, some Washington clinics are now facing the opposite problem: difficulty finding enough people to adjust the dosage.
SEATTLE – For months, demand for COVID-19 vaccines has exceeded supply in Washington, which has chosen to roll out gradually to prioritize high-risk and vulnerable groups. But after months of restricted access to the life-saving shot, a surreal turn has occurred for some clinics: supply has exceeded demand.
Seattle has 50,000 cans this week, officials said, but only booked about 25,000 appointments. This prompted city officials to open the doors to all tours in three city locations: West Seattle, Rainier Beach, and the mass vaccination site at Seahawk’s Lumen Field. Officials continue to recommend booking an appointment, but this is not required. This change does not affect existing scheduled appointments.
“There are a number of dates that are not occupied and that was part of our plan,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “And we knew we’d get to a point where we’d have more vaccinations than people who wanted to get vaccinated, and that it would take that extra boost to basically sell the vaccinations.”
Even so, she said that day had come earlier than expected, thanks in part to the allocation of the last week.
Seattle isn’t the only provider struggling to find people to get the vaccine. Over the weekend, the Snohomish County Health District issued an urgent warning that 600 doses are about to expire and will be available for viewing. No cans were wasted, according to Snohomish HD.
And it wasn’t until Monday afternoon that Thurston County said 500 doses would soon expire without people receiving them. King County canceled its Sunday mass clinic in Auburn, citing a low registration.
Snohomish County noted the shift was abrupt when, in the last week of April, supply suddenly exceeded demand for the coveted vaccines.
However, the trend reflects a nationwide one – around mid-April, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed the daily dose rate dropped from a high mark on April 11th. This decreasing rate of return was not unexpected, as more than 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, and over half of all adults in the US have received at least one shot. However, the vaccination campaign is still a long way off.
In Seattle, 68% of residents have started the vaccination process and 41% are fully immunized. Washington fired just over 6 million shots nationwide, according to CDC data.
This leaves more complicated patients: patients who either have problems accessing them or are reluctant to receive the vaccine for some reason.
But much remains at stake – vaccines are a proven way to reduce its prevalence in the community, and Counties King and Snohomish are still at risk of reverting to Phase 2 restrictions this week. To the dismay of many business owners, Pierce County returned to Phase 2 in mid-April.
Durkan said the city is still focused on reaching disenfranchised communities and extending evening hours and pop-up clinics to reach more people. She anticipates that she will be recalling Lumen Field’s resources in the future.
The city has also tried creative pop-up clinics, like the Sounders home games and Mariners home games starting Tuesday night. Durkan said while the pace may be slowing down, there are more people they need to reach.
“I think we haven’t reached the plateau yet,” she said. “I think this was the hardest time anyone in our city has ever gone through. And everyone had to go through their phases in different ways. Not only did getting the vaccine for many people not seem possible, but they weren’t sure how to go about it either. And now not only is it possible, but we’re making it as easy as possible. “
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