Washington Shifts Vaccines To Prioritize Counties Using Doses

WASHINGTON — Facing a mounting fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is altering its vaccine distribution plan, trying to maximize the number of doses administered across the state.

Previously, the DOH handed vaccines to each of Washington's 39 counties on a pro-rata basis, meaning they were allocated based on the county's total population.

Now, the DOH says its adopting a new, needs-based approach, which will give more vaccines to places where the shots are in greater demand and more likely to be used.

“While the pro-rata driven model worked well for the first few months of vaccine distribution, now that nearly 30 percent of Washingtonians are fully vaccinated, it is time to adjust our approach in support of our goals to vaccinate more Washingtonians as equitably, quickly, and efficiently as possible,” said Lacy Fehrenbach, Deputy Secretary of the COVID-19 response.

County population will remain a factor in distribution, but will no longer be the sole metric. Under the new system, health care providers will still continue to request vaccines as they always have, but based on input from local health jurisdictions the DOH weigh those requests against each county's need for more doses.

“The allocation change will help ensure vaccine continues to reach all communities across the state, while also focusing on areas where it has been more difficult for people to find open appointments,” said Assistant Secretary of Health Michele Roberts.

As the governor explains, one factor guiding this decision has been vaccine hesitancy.

"We have seen a slowdown in uptake, and as a result some counties are not ordering the vaccine, because they don't have enough people that want to take them," said Gov. Jay Inslee at a news conference Thursday. "We can't send vaccines to counties and have them just sit on a shelf."

Over recent weeks the state has seen growing signs that Washington may be entering a fourth wave of COVID-19 transmission. Health care leaders say increasing vaccine administration is the best way to counter the fourth wave, so vaccine hesitancy must be addressed.

"For those who don’t like masks there is a really powerful weapon over time to get rid of them. It is really simple. The way out of this pandemic is to get vaccinated," Inslee said.

Addressing hesitancy and maximizing the state's limited vaccine supply are especially critical at this particular moment, as Washington is just days away from a statewide review that will determine which counties will remain in which phases of the Healthy Washington Plan. During the first review earlier this month, Pierce, Cowlitz and Whitman counties were all moved back into Phase 2, reimposing several pandemic safety restrictions.

The way things are trending currently, many more are likely to join them soon.

"There are a dozen or so counties that are on the border or exceeding the metrics to move to Phase 2 or stay in Phase 2," said Fehrenbach. "There are even some that are close to Phase 1."

At this point, health leaders say the best option for everyone is to get vaccinated if they haven't yet, and to encourage your loved ones to do the same. Hopefully, that will be enough to tamp down on the growing case counts.

"Our hope is that as few move back as possible," said Fehrenbach.