The new Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are now available in Whatcom County.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending everyone 5 years or older get one dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccines to protect against serious illness. According to the CDC, the new vaccines target the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant and “can restore protection against severe COVID-19 that may have decreased over time.”
The old bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been recalled nationwide as of Sept. 11.
“COVID-19 vaccines have been updated to provide stronger protection against current variants,” Dr. Greg Thompson, co-health officer at Whatcom County Health and Community Services, wrote in a statement. “Everyone over the age of 6 months is eligible for an updated COVID-19 vaccine this fall, and I encourage everyone to get them because they remain our best defense against severe illness. They also reduce the risk of complications such as long COVID. You should wait 2 months after your last COVID vaccine, and may wait up to 3 months after a recent COVID infection to get vaccinated with the updated COVID-19 vaccine.”
Whatcom County currently has a low COVID-19 hospital admissions rate, according to a CDC data tracker. The county has been seeing a “relatively mild increase” in COVID-19 in wastewater concentration and other data sources since the end of August, according to the county health department.
As of Wednesday, Sept. 27, Walgreens locations in Bellingham have Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines in stock, Rite-Aids have Moderna, and the CVS in Bellis Fair has Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. Community members can input their zip code into Vaccines.gov to book an appointment at a convenient pharmacy.
Most health insurance plans will cover the cost of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the CDC’s new Bridge Access Program provides vaccines at no cost to those who have no insurance or whose medical insurance doesn’t cover the full cost of the vaccine. Walgreens and CVS are Bridge Access Program participants.
The county health department said people should plan to get vaccinated “before the respiratory virus season peaks to maximize protection.”
“Individuals who receive both their COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time are not likely to experience significantly more or severe side effects compared to receiving only one vaccine,” the health department wrote in a statement. “However, side effects can occur and may be uncomfortable for a day or two.”
The county health department is hosting seven immunization clinics in Bellingham and Maple Falls this fall. The fall clinics will have a limited supply of the new vaccine formula, and they’re limited to people who are uninsured or underinsured.
The clinics in East County will be open to people 6 months and older for COVID-19, mpox and some routinely recommended childhood vaccines. The Bellingham clinics will have Moderna COVID-19, flu and some childhood vaccines available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center in Maple Falls. Registration required.
- Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 3–6 p.m. at 2030 Division Street in Bellingham, first-come, first-served.
- Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 3–6 p.m. at 2030 Division Street in Bellingham, first-come, first-served.
- Thursday, Nov. 2 from 4–7 p.m. at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center in Maple Falls. Registration required.
- Thursday, Nov. 7 from 3–6 p.m. at 2030 Division Street in Bellingham, first-come, first-served.
- Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 3–6 p.m. at 2030 Division Street in Bellingham, first-come, first-served.
- Thursday, Dec. 7 from 4–7 p.m. at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center in Maple Falls. Registration required.
