Submitted by the Whatcom County Health Department
Slow but steady wins the race, Whatcom! So far, about 63% of everyone in Whatcom County who’s eligible has gotten one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which represents 52.07% of the entire Whatcom County population. Our fully-vaccinated friends aren’t far behind – 44.89% of all Whatcom County residents are fully vaccinated.
This week, vaccine providers in Whatcom County are due to receive 2,970 doses, although this number is not final and is expected to increase.For more information, check out our infographic below.
Community Vaccination Center Update
The CVC will suspend operations on June 17 as the county adjusts its vaccination strategy to focus on smaller mobile and pop-up clinics. The final clinic dates and times are posted below. You may click any of the links below to be taken directly to the sign-up page on PrepMod. All clinics will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Moderna will be offered for people needing their second dose only.
- Thursday, June 3, 5-7pm.
- Saturday, June 5, 10am-noon.
- Tuesday, June 8, 4-6pm.
- Thursday, June 10, 6-8pm.
- Saturday, June 12, 10am-noon.
- Wednesday, June 16, 10am-2pm.
- Thursday, June 17, 10am-2pm.
Many thanks to our partners, who helped make the CVC possible: Bellingham Technical College, Unity Care NW, Family Care Network, PeaceHealth, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Hoagland Pharmacy, Whatcom Community College. Together we’ve given 8,500 shots so far!
Pop-Up Vaccination Clinics and Other Walk-In Options
The Nooksack Tribe is hosting two Pfizer clinics at the Nooksack Health Clinic in Everson. These clinics are both open to the public to anyone who’s 12 or older. More details are provided in the links below. Thank you, Nooksack Tribe, for once again graciously sharing your vaccine supply with the community!
There are lots of other local vaccine providers that currently offer COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment. Those providers include:
- Costco
- Haggen on 12th Street (if scheduled vaccine appointments are not full)
- Haggen in Ferndale (if extra doses are available)
- Haggen on Meridian
- Haggen on Woburn
- PeaceHealth Community Vaccination Center
- Safeway in Bellingham (if extra doses are available)
- Walgreens (call first to check availability)
Go to VaccineLocator.doh.wa.gov for a complete list of local vaccine providers.
Myocarditis/Pericarditis
Last week, the CDC published Clinical Considerations for myocarditis and pericarditis following COVID-19 vaccination. Both myocarditis and pericarditis are types of inflammation that affect the heart. The CDC’s considerations follow rare occurrences of these inflammations, particularly in adolescents and young adults.
We don’t know yet if the vaccine is to blame for these inflammations, but the CDC continues to monitor for these cases and will provide updates as more information becomes available.The Pfizer vaccine continues to be recommended for adolescents and teens aged 12 and older.
Some symptoms of myocarditis and pericarditis include chest pain and discomfort, heart palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, and fever. Symptoms were most common up to 4 days after getting the second dose of either Pfizer or Modern. Affected patients have typically recovered quickly.
More information can be found on the CDC’s Myocarditis and Pericarditis Following mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination page.
Weekly Vaccine MythBusted: The Disinformation Dozen
Did you know that nearly all anti-vaccine propaganda comes from just 12 people? That’s right. A dozen people are responsible for spreading nearly every myth you’ve heard about vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine. If you’ve heard something fishy about a vaccine, chances are you’d get to one of these people’s computers if you followed the breadcrumbs far enough.
How can you know if the information you’re hearing comes from a reputable source, or from one of these 12 people? It’s easier than you’d think: usually a simple Google search is all that’s needed. A good rule of thumb when verifying information is a quick source check. Who’s cited in any claim? Is the cited work coming from a reputable source, or just a source that sounds reputable?
For more information on the disinformation dozen, check out the Citizens Against Digital Hate’s recent report. For credible, verifiable and reliable information about the COVID-19 vaccine, you can always get info from the CDC, DOH, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic or John Hopkins University.
More Information
More information about the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine planning, and vaccine safety can be found on the DOH’s COVID-19 vaccine web page at www.covidvaccinewa.org. For information about COVID-19 vaccination in Whatcom County, visit our webpage at www.whatcomcounty.us/covidvaccine.
Featured photo courtesy Unity Care NW
