Secretary of Health Visits as Yakima Waits for More Vaccine

No COVID-19 vaccination sites will be open in Yakima this week or this weekend because health officials say they still don't have the needed vaccine. Washington State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah was in Yakima Wednesday praising the area for a response to the pandemic. He's touring sites around the state this week as the state pushes toward a goal of vaccinating 45,000 people a day.

Yakima Health District officials say they continue to receive doses of the vaccine just not enough to open a large vaccination site. The officials say this week the county received 5,725 doses of vaccine, which includes 2,150 first doses and 3,575 second doses. They say every clinic, hospital, and pharmacy that's receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is administering the vaccine to all eligible community members with no organization prioritizing patients at this time.
If you've already received your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine you're expected to get your second dose from the same location.
Yakima County continues battling the virus and vaccinating people in Phase 1B Tier 1 of the COVID-19 restrictions. Health officials say it's likely the county will stay in that phase until the spring.
If you are still looking for vaccine health there are four steps in the process.
"Step 1: Determine Eligibility using Phase Finder (www.FindYourPhaseWA.Org) Step 2: Identify a location that is currently distributing vaccines using the Yakima Health District Website Step 3: Contact the location to schedule an appointment. Each location will have a preferred method of contact listed on the Yakima Health District website Step 4: Go to your first appointment and mark your calendar for your second dose.
 
Yakima Health District officials say Yakima County would need to receive about 15,000-20,000 vaccine doses a week to be able to support all existing partners and the mass vaccination site at the Yakima State Fair Park."