PORT ANGELES — Nearly 1,800 Clallam County residents received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine over the weekend at a COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic at Port Angeles High School, organizers said.
No new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported Sunday in Clallam and Jefferson counties, public health officers said.
Ron Cameron, Clallam County undersheriff and emergency management director, said 870 county residents who are 65 and older received a vaccination Saturday.
“We’re looking at probably close to 900 folks coming though today,” Cameron said when reached by cell phone Sunday afternoon.
“It’s been very busy up until now, that’s for sure.”
About 70 volunteers working half-day shifts provided vaccinations and support for the two-day event at the high school, Cameron said.
Clallam Bay clinic
A smaller pop-up clinic operated in Clallam Bay on Friday, he added.
Clallam County, which is among the state leaders for vaccinations, had 1,001 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March, county Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry said Sunday. The county passed 1,000 cases Friday.
Jefferson County’s case tally remained at 335 on Sunday, Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke said.
“We did get a confirmation that another 1,170 doses of Pfizer vaccine will be arriving probably (today) or Tuesday at the (Jefferson Healthcare) hospital,” Locke said in a Sunday interview.
“From this point on, we’re expecting that amount — at least that amount — for new vaccinations, and then we’ll have a match shipment for the second dose. So the hospital will be giving out 2,000 doses a week.”
Jefferson Healthcare is making appointments for vaccinations through its “When is it my turn?” list, which Jefferson County residents 65 and older can sign up for at www.jefferson healthcare.org/covid-19-vaccine.
Clallam County vaccination clinics will expand this month to include residents who are 50 and older and live in multi-generational households. A multi-generational household is defined as a person older than 50 living with grandchildren or people older than them.
Clallam County residents who qualify can make appointments at www. vaccine.clallam.net/register.
Most of Clallam County’s recent cases of COVID-19 have involved people in the 30s and 40s and their children, Berry has said.
“While we have very good vaccine coverage in the 65-plus age range, most of us under 65 are still very much vulnerable to this infection,” Berry said in her weekly COVID-19 briefing Friday.
Don’t let guard down
“So it’s very important to continue to practice safe COVID-19 guidelines. Keep that 6-foot distance, wear a mask, avoid indoor gatherings. It’s too soon to start celebrating at this point.”
Shipments of vaccines will accelerate through spring and summer, health officials said.
“We’d be feeling really encouraged by the trends if not for the variants,” Locke said Sunday.
“Currently, the UK variant is spreading in Washington state. The main significance of it is it’s just more transmissible.”
People who are not yet vaccinated or who have not had COVID-19 “need to keep their guard up,” Locke added.
“Hopefully, people are hearing that message from a lot of different sources and will follow it,” he said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
