COVID-19 vaccine demand slows as the county races against concerning variants
Thurston County reports that just about 40% of residents have taken at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as demand significantly slows.
The slowdown comes as the county is dealing with a resurgence in COVID-19 activity that has involved more transmissible virus variants. Health department director Schelli Slaughter noted the declining demand during a Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning.
“We are continuing to offer clinics in the community, but again we are experiencing reduced demand and we’re strongly encouraging people to get vaccinated,” Slaughter said.
State data indicates nearly 31% of the county population was fully vaccinated as of Tuesday. When looking at just vaccine eligible residents, the state reports about 50% of that population has received at least one dose and about 38% have been fully vaccinated.
Last week, the county reported about 39% of the total county population had gotten their first dose and about 28% had been fully vaccinated.
Despite the on-going vaccination drive, case rates have been generally increasing since March.
The latest state data indicates the county saw a rate of 194.8 new cases per 100,000 people over the two-week period from April 13-26. This is about two and half times greater than the most recent low of 77 new cases per 100,000 over the two-week period from March 4-17.
Slaughter said vaccine demand in the last week has decreased so significantly that the county now has an excess of Pfizer doses that are set to expire by the end of this week. These doses are the only brand currently approved for people 16 and older.
“We are really wanting to get the word out that Pfizer is a safe and effective vaccine,” Slaughter said. “We have plenty of vaccine for those who want it. There are no wait times currently at our drive-through site.”
The county aims to fully vaccinate 70%-80% of the county population. With this slowdown, the county has a long way to go before it reaches that goal.
Variants of concern
During the Tuesday meeting, health officer Dimyana Abdelmalek urged county residents to get vaccinated before transmission rates get worse. She said concerning COVID-19 variants have been circulating across the state, including in Thurston County.
“This is a bit of a race between getting folks vaccinated and variants,” Abdelmalek said. “Variants arise when viruses get transmitted from person to person. With each replication of the virus, there’s a chance it can develop a mutation that either makes it more infectious or causes more severe illness.”
In Thurston County, there have been 16 recorded cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which originated in the United Kingdom, Abdelmalek said. This variant is likely to become the dominant version of the virus in the state in the coming weeks, she said.
“This is a variant that is 15% more easily transmitted than the previous SARS-CoV-2 virus that was circulating in our community,” Abdelmalek said. “There was some evidence from a U.K. study a few months ago that it may also increase severity of disease. We are still watching that.”
In addition to the U.K. variant, Abdelmalek said the county has recorded two cases of variant B.1.351, which was first detected in South Africa. This variant also is more transmissible, she said.
Lastly, Abdelmalek said the county is aware of several cases of variants that originated in California. This includes two cases of the B.1.427 variant and 13 cases of the B.1.429 variant, she said.
“These (California) variants have increased transmissibility estimated by the (Department of Health) and (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to be about 20% more transmissible,” Abdelmalek said. “But there is no evidence that these variants would increase disease severity.”
All currently available vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — are safe and effective, Abdelmalek said. However, she added their effectiveness may be reduced with new variants.
Abdelmalek said she hopes the county can rally to overcome this most recent resurgence in COVID-19 transmission as it has done before, especially after the winter.
“In addition to getting vaccinated, which is a crucial piece of slowing the spread and slowing the variants, we all need to continue to do all the basic precautions that we’ve been doing from the beginning.”
Vaccination clinics
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services has a few mass vaccination events planned through the rest of the week.
Residents are encouraged to make an appointment for these events, but due to slowing demand the county is no longer requiring appointments. Links for appointments can be found on the county’s vaccine information website.
On Wednesday, May 5, there will be a Pfizer clinic for anyone 16 and older at South Puget Sound Community College between 5 and 8 p.m. Though this is labeled as a drive-through clinic, the county is still welcoming pedestrians, bicyclists and those who use public transit.
A walk-up Pfizer clinic will be held on Thursday at the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services building between 8:30 a.m. and noon. This building is located at 412 Lilly Road NE, Olympia.
On Mother’s Day this Sunday, the county will host another drive-through Pfizer clinic at SPSCC. Like the Wednesday event, pedestrians, bicyclists, and those who use public transit are also welcome. Mothers who get vaccinated at this event will receive a bouquet of flowers, according to the PHSS.
People also can visit the state’s PrepMod website to sign up for mass vaccination events. On this website, people should search by zip code, distance and vaccine brand name, if a specific vaccine is desired, to see the most options.
On PrepMod, residents can sign up for events at Providence’s Lacey Family Medicine on College Street. As of Wednesday morning, hundreds of appointments were still available at events on Thursday and Friday. Pfizer doses will be offered on both days.
Additionally, the Department of Enterprise Services is hosting its own mass vaccination event at 1139 Washington St. SE between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Appointments are required but more than 600 doses were still available as of Wednesday morning, according to PrepMod.
Residents also can find appointments at local providers, including pharmacies, by visiting the state’s Vaccine Locator website.
Those with difficulties scheduling appointments online can call the Department of Health vaccine hotline at 888-856-5816 or the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services line at 360-867-2610.
Volunteers are still needed to staff clinics. People interested in volunteering at PHSS vaccine events can sign up through the United Way of Thurston County website. Anyone with questions or concerns about volunteering can call 360-943-2773.
