Am I Eligible for a Vaccine? Where Can I Get One? Whatcom County Health Department Answers Your Questions

It’s the question on
everyone’s mind these days: Am I eligible for a vaccine? And if so, where can I
get one? Luckily, vaccine distribution and access is more widespread than ever,
and the Whatcom County Health Department
is quick to offer information to those who are looking to protect themselves,
their loved ones, and their community against COVID-19.

If you have access to technology,
online is the best place to get information about vaccines, find out your
eligibility, and schedule an appointment. The Phase Finder tool is no longer
available for use; the easier place to get more information is covidvaccinewa.org.
Once on this page, you can click ‘When can I get the vaccine,’ and it will take
you to a page with a summary infographic describing who is eligible and the
approximate time frame. Starting on April 15, everyone ages 16 and older will
be eligible for vaccination.

There are many vaccine providers in
Whatcom County, and the best way to find one near you is to go to vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov
and search by zip code. Each provider will have links about how to schedule an
appointment at many healthcare clinics, including PeaceHealth, Family Care
Network, and Sea Mar, as well as at pharmacies like Costco, RiteAid, Safeway,
and Haggen.

Melissa Morin, the Health
Department’s Public Information Officer, notes how inspiring it’s been to see
the way the community has supported each other through this unprecedented
process. “It’s been wonderful to hear about people helping other people find
vaccine appointments,” she says. “With supply being limited, we know it’s been
frustrating at times. I’ve been impressed by the ways that our community has
stepped up as friends or neighbors to help others.”

Morin is excited to be able to see
the glimmer of light at the end of this long pandemic. “The vaccine is really
our pathway to getting back to the lives we all want. The more we see folks
getting vaccinated, the closer we are to being able to open things back up.
Eventually, it will be safe to hug people and get together and celebrate and do
all those things that we’ve missed. And there will be safety and peace of mind.
We’ve all been living with a lot of fear and anxiety, and we’ll be able to get
past that towards a sense of safety and security.”

The COVID-19 vaccine is a chance for
our community to be part of an ongoing, global public health effort to improve
people’s lives. “All these vaccines that are available right now are very effective
at preventing serious illness that would lead to hospitalization or death.
That’s a huge thing,” Morin says. “When I think about the history of public
health, there are so many diseases we don’t even have to worry about because
we’ve been vaccinated. That’s what this is—an opportunity for us to do the
same, to have that peace of mind.”

For those who have hesitations or
fears, Morin recommends talking to other people who have been vaccinated.
Friends, family, and neighbors can share their experiences. And be sure to get
your information from quality sources like the CDC and the Health Department.
Whatcom County Health Department has a Facebook
page where they share information about
vaccines, answer frequently asked questions, share information about supply,
and remind people how to make appointments.

Vaccination isn’t just a chance for
us to protect our health. It’s a chance to redirect our energy, time, and
resources back into growing jobs and supporting a healthy, resilient community.
“We’ll be able to more fully devote our resources towards important things like
mental and behavioral health, especially for youth and young people,” says Morin.
“We can address housing and homelessness. We can support healthy starts for
families and young children.”

Many of our healthcare resources
have been devoted to responding to the pandemic, as well. “We’ve had to do so
much surge planning to prepare for if we were to see cases rise and
hospitalizations go up,” Morin adds. “Knowing that people are vaccinated,
that’s not going to be in the back of our minds as something we need to be able
to respond to.”

While vaccine news is often changing, one thing is for sure: This spring is bringing new hope to Whatcom County, Washington, and the world.

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