COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Is the vaccine currently available to OMP patients?
Updated June 1, 2021
Yes, Olympic Medical Physicians is now offering drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination appointments to OMP patients.
OMP is administering Pfizer vaccine by appointment only through Olympic Medical Center’s COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in the parking lot immediately west of the OMP Administration office at 1035 Caroline Street in Port Angeles.
To make an appointment, OMP patients can call (360) 565-0999.
LOCATION
The parking lot immediately west of the OMP Administration office at 1035 Caroline Street in Port Angeles
SCHEDULE
- Wednesdays, 2:00 PM – 6:45 PM
- Thursdays, 8:00 AM – 12:45 PM
ELIGIBILITY
- Any OMP patient 12 years of age or older.
- A parent or legal guardian of a minor (12-17 years of age) must complete and sign a consent form.
COST
- The vaccine is at no cost to the patient; insurance, if applicable, will be billed if available.
Consent forms can be completed prior to, or at the time of, the appointment. Please note, a parent or legal guardian of a minor (12-17 years of age) must complete and sign a consent form.
After vaccination, patients can expect to remain in their car for 15-to-30 minutes, based on their health conditions, to observe for rare but potential reactions.
Olympic Medical Center recently completed its last of 12 community mass vaccination clinics on May 22. OMC supplied staffing and supply of the Pfizer vaccine in administering approximately 11,000 doses of the COVID vaccine to Clallam County residents, including OMC employees, over the last four months.
Why I Got Vaccinated
The Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services shared in the video below the perspective of several community leaders – including OMC’s own Jeana Hutton, an RN in the ICU/Telemetry Department – on why they decided to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Where is the vaccine currently available?
Updated July 21, 2021
Vaccine Clinics: Port Angeles | Sequim | Forks
Vaccine Locator
Select grocery stores and pharmacies in Clallam County have vaccine appointments available. For more information, visit the Washington State Department of Health’s Vaccine Locator.
Who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine?
- Clallam County residents at least 12 years of age
- Clallam County residents at least 18 years of age
- Clallam County residents at least 18 years of age
On May 12, the Washington State Department of Health announced that all Washington residents 12 years of age or older are now eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, following an authorization from the U.S. FDA to expand eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to include those aged 12-15, as well as 16 or older.
On March 31, Governor Inslee announced that effective April 15, all Washington residents 16 years of age or older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC has approved the Pfizer vaccine for individuals who are at least 12 years of age, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been approved by the CDC for individuals who are at least 18 years of age. For more information from the CDC on these vaccines, click here.
LATEST INFORMATION AND UPDATES: CDC | Department of Health | Coronavirus Response
Where can I be vaccinated?
PORT ANGELES
Updated July 21, 2021
The Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services offers vaccinations by appointment on Wednesdays in Port Angeles. Call (360) 417-2274 to schedule an appointment.
SEQUIM
Updated July 21, 2021
Jamestown Family Health Clinic is offering Moderna vaccines by appointment to anyone in Clallam County who is at least 18 years of age. For more information, visit jamestownhealth.org.
FORKS
Updated July 21, 2021
The Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services offers vaccinations by appointment on Thursdays in Forks. Call (360) 417-2274 to schedule an appointment.
For information on vaccine clinics offered by Forks Community Hospital, visit forkshospital.org.
What about residents of nursing homes?
Residents and staff of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other senior congregate living settings, are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. Patients of OMP / OMC who live in one of these settings should direct their inquiries to customer contacts at these residences.
Where can I find more information?
- You can visit our COVID site: olympicmedical.org/coronavirus.
- You can also find information at our local health department: clallam.net/Coronavirus/vaccine.html
- The Washington State DOH also has additional information: doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/Vaccine
Please be patient as this is all very new and information is subject to change. Please contact us if you have further concerns or questions, and in the meantime, please continue to wear your mask, social distance and wash your hands.
Masks Required at All OMC Facilities
The CDC recently announced that fully vaccinated individuals can resume most activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, however, these recommendations are not intended for healthcare settings. Masks are still required for all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, when present at any Olympic Medical Center facility.
For the health and safety of all individuals, including those who may be at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19, masks are still recommended by the CDC in healthcare settings.
OMC Begins Vaccinating Front-Line Health Care Workers
Olympic Medical Center began administering vaccines to front-line health care workers on Dec. 18. Samantha Counts, an RN in the Emergency Services department, became OMC’s first front-line health care worker to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“It’s been a very stressful year, and we’re all very tired,” Counts said. “We’re all ready to put this behind us.”
CDC, FDA Recommend Resuming Use of J&J Vaccine
Updated May 11, 2021
The CDC and FDA made a joint announcement on April 23 recommending the resumption in the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The statement read, in part, “The FDA and CDC have confidence that this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. The FDA has determined that the available data show that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older.” For more information, click here.
On April 24, the Washington State Department of Health announced that it would immediately resume use of the J&J vaccine across the state.
The pause in use of the J&J vaccine was announced by the CDC and FDA on April 13 after six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine out of more than 6.8 million doses to date.
FDA Approves Emergency Use Authorizations for Three Vaccines
Updated March 1, 2021
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines, first the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 11, the Moderna vaccine on Dec. 18 and, most recently, the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine on Feb. 27. Federal and state officials will determine how to distribute the Janssen vaccine.
The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the state of Washington on Monday, Dec. 14. Olympic Medical Center expects to receive a distribution of 975 doses of the vaccine.
Olympic Medical Center is prepared to administer approved vaccines according to the phased approach outlined in the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program.
Each potential COVID-19 vaccine undergoes thorough clinical trials before the FDA reviews test results and any side effects in order to determine that it is safe and effective. If approved by the FDA, each vaccine also undergoes additional review by a multi-state vaccine workgroup, the COVID Vaccine Safety Review Workgroup. Washington is a part of the workgroup, along with California, Oregon and Nevada.
How Are COVID-19 Vaccines Made?
Vaccine testing and production are being done simultaneously to expedite the process of realizing an authorized vaccine for the public. Multiple COVID vaccines are being tested.
Each vaccine goes through multiple clinical trials, starting first with small group of volunteers before expanding to a few hundred and eventually a few thousand volunteers.
After successfully advancing through clinical trials, each vaccine must be approved by the FDA.
How will COVID-19 vaccines work?
From the Washington State Department of Health, “The COVID-19 vaccine teaches your immune system to recognize the coronavirus. When you get the vaccine, your immune system makes antibodies (‘fighter cells’) that stay in your blood and protect you in case you are infected with the virus. You get protection against the disease without having to get sick.”
Most COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be administered in two doses, separated by either 21 or 28 days. COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers will not be interchangeable; individuals must receive their second dose from the same manufacturer as the first dose. At the time of receiving the first dose, individuals will receive a second-dose reminder card, detailing the date of their first dose, vaccine manufacturer, lot number and the due date of their second dose.
Learn More About COVID-19 Vaccines
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, how they are being made and tested, when they will be made available and how they will work.