Demand Lowers For COVID Vaccines In San Juans As State Increases Eligibility

Contributed Photo/San Juan County

From San Juan County

In a welcome sign of progress, the vaccine registration window on Monday, March 22, had slots available for almost five hours after opening.

While the outreach to those who are eligible but not yet vaccinated continues, this decreased demand indicates the appropriateness of expanding eligibility further.

As per a recent decision by Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee, as of March 31, eligibility for the COVID vaccine will be expanded to include those individuals in Phase 1b Tiers 3 and 4.

These newly eligible groups may sign up to receive their vaccine at the next available San Juan County Health & Community Services clinic (monitor this page for most current information). Other vaccine providers in the islands will soon follow the new regulations as well.

Please note that these newly eligible groups include over 2,000 islanders, so vaccine appointments will be in short supply for at least the next couple of weeks. Though San Juan County has one of the highest vaccine rates in Washington, local demand far exceeds the available doses.

The following groups are now eligible for the vaccine:

• Individuals age 60 or older (previously was 65+)
• Individuals who work in restaurants, manufacturing, or construction
• 16 years or older with two or more comorbidities. At this time the Moderna vaccine being given in San Juan County is only approved for those 18 or older.
• 16 years or older and live in a congregate setting, for example, correctional facilities, group homes for people with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness.  

As always, islanders are asked to be thoughtful and considerate when determining their eligibility. Please respect the requirements.

As a reminder, the following groups remain eligible for vaccine:

• Medical workers and all first responders
• All 65 years or older
• Those working in grocery stores or restaurants
• Pre-K-12 educators, school staff, and childcare workers
• Those working in high-risk agriculture or food processing settings
• Those 16 or older who are pregnant. At this time the Moderna vaccine being given in San Juan County is only approved for those 18 or older.
• Those living or working in long term care facilities
• Those working in courts or correctional facilities 
• Those 50 or older living in a multigenerational household

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