The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that on February 12, 2021, the state had administered more than one million COVID-19 vaccinations since receiving their first dose in mid-December 2020.

According to the DOH, the vaccination efforts have been made possible by the hard work of healthcare providers, local and private sector partners, the Washington National Guard, DOH staff, and a long list of volunteers unique to each community. Many hours and lots of hard work have gone into vaccine distribution efforts.

“We are thrilled that 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Washington State. That means hundreds of thousands of people have gotten their COVID-19 vaccine,” says Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “But we have so much more work to do to get everyone, not just that first dose, but the second. And until we have millions of people vaccinated in the state, we all must continue to wear masks, wash our hands, and watch our social distancing.”

Recently, Washington State has shifted into high gear, vaccinating more than 30,000 people at the state-led mass vaccination sites that opened January 26 in Spokane, Ridgefield, Wenatchee, and Kennewick. These sites further expand upon the work done at local health departments, community health centers, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and more, getting shots in the arms of Washingtonians eligible for the vaccine. The DOH’s goal is to vaccinate 45,000 people per day. As the department continues to work towards its goal, the DOH expressed thanks to its partners for their hard work and the community for its continued patience.