COVID-19 vaccine available to ages 70-plus next week

Carrie Blake Community Park hosts drive-through

By Matthew Nash • January 6, 2021 1:30 am
Medical leaders with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe have shifted planned COVID-19 vaccinations for Sequim residents ages 70-and-up to Carrie Blake Community Park from Sequim Community Church for Jan. 14 and 16. The shift was due to multiple reasons including a plan to install a semi-permanent tent in the park that can allow for four vehicles’ drivers/passengers to be vaccinated at a time. Vaccinations go from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 14 and 16. CERT members will help direct traffic similarly to other food distribution efforts in the park. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
Medical leaders with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe have shifted planned COVID-19 vaccinations for Sequim residents ages 70-and-up to Carrie Blake Community Park from Sequim Community Church for Jan. 14 and 16. The shift was due to multiple reasons including a plan to install a semi-permanent tent in the park that can allow for four vehicles’ drivers/passengers to be vaccinated at a time. Vaccinations go from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 14 and 16. CERT members will help direct traffic similarly to other food distribution efforts in the park. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

Update Jan. 6, 4:30 p.m. —

Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal medical leaders announced on Wednesday that planned COVID-19 vaccinations for Sequim residents ages 70-and-up will be held in Carrie Blake Community Park, 202 N. Blake Ave., instead of Sequim Community Church on Jan. 14 and 16.

The shift was due to multiple reasons including a plan to install a semi-permanent tent in the park that can allow for four vehicles’ drivers/passengers to be vaccinated at a time, leaders said.

If churches opened back up under state provisions, medical leaders didn’t want the tent and vaccinations to interfere with church operations.

Vaccinations go from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 14 and 16. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members will help direct traffic similarly to other food distribution efforts in the park.

Previously —

Local medical officials plan to offer COVID-19 vaccines next week for Sequim residents 70 and older.

Brent Simcosky, director of Health Services for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, said they are working in partnership with Clallam County Fire District 3 and Sequim Police Department to set up a free drive-through, stay-in-your car vaccination.

Sequim vaccinations will tentatively begin 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, and Saturday, Jan. 16, at Carrie Blake Community Park, 202 N. Blake Ave., in the Water Reuse Demonstration Site in the northern part of the park.

Details for a second week of vaccinations are still being refined for ages and groups tentatively for Tuesday, Jan. 19, Thursday, Jan. 21, and Saturday, Jan. 23, also at the park

Simcosky said Sequim area residents must be 70-and-up but do not have to be clinic patients and their spouse/partner does not have to be in the same age range.

Vaccines are free.

The Jamestown Family Health Clinic received 4,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, so he encourages Sequim residents not to camp out overnight or rush to wait in line.

Simcosky said clinics in Port Angeles will begin vaccinations for the same age group, so residents are encouraged to go to clinics/vaccination spots in their school district area.

“We’re going to have enough vaccines for a few weeks, at least,” Simcosky said.

Procedure

Simcosky said those seeking a vaccination will fill out a form to provide their name, birthday and address to give to the state vaccination system.

Those vaccinated are encouraged to wear short sleeve shirts. After receiving the vaccine, drivers and passengers are required to wait 15 minutes post-vaccination in a designated parking lot for questions and/or health concerns. First responders and medical staff will be on site to assist, if needed.

With the Moderna vaccine, those vaccinated must return in four weeks for the second dose, Simcosky said.

Patients that are 70-and-up of the Jamestown Family Health Clinic will be given the vaccine if they are there for other health concerns, too, he said.

Medical officials will continue vaccinating Sequim area health and dental staff along with some essential workers in the coming weeks, too.

Aside from the 15-minute wait, Simcosky said filling out paperwork and receiving the shot will go quickly and people should have determined they want it prior to coming.

Looking back

Two weeks ago, tribal medical and dental staff began receiving vaccinations for the novel coronavirus. Last week, the vaccine was made available and continues to be available for fire district staff and volunteers, Olympic Ambulance employees and Sequim Police Department staff. Some elder care facilities began receiving the vaccine, too.

Dr. Molly Martin, deputy medical director for the Jamestown Family Health Clinic, said previously the clinic received the Moderna vaccination because it doesn’t require as strict of a storage temperature as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Look for information in next week’s edition on more specifics on vaccine locations.

Simcosky said Sequim Police Chief Sheri Crain and Fire Chief Ben Andrews with Clallam County Fire District 3 have been key in helping handling logistics of the drive-through.

For more information, visit the Washington State Department of Health website, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, and/or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration site.