COVID-19 Vaccine Information
Updated April 26, 2021
CDC, FDA Recommend Resuming Use of J&J Vaccine
The CDC and FDA made a joint announcement Friday 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 Saturday, 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.
Where is the vaccine currently available?
Updated April 26, 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.
Vaccinations are not available at Olympic Medical Physician clinics at this time. Individuals who are interested in receiving the vaccine and who are currently eligible can participate in the mass vaccination clinics in Port Angeles and Sequim.
Who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine?
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 16 years of age, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (CDC, FDA recommend pause of J&J vaccine) 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.
Is there a vaccine wait list for eligible residents?
Clallam County Health has established a wait list for the Port Angeles vaccination clinic for eligible residents. See below for more details.
For more information on the Washington State Department of Health’s framework for vaccine allocation and prioritization, including the Phase Finder, click here.
LATEST INFORMATION AND UPDATES: CDC | Department of Health | Coronavirus Response
Where can I be vaccinated?
PORT ANGELES
Updated May 3, 2021
UPCOMING SECOND-DOSE CLINIC
SCHEDULE
- Saturday, May 22
VACCINE
Pfizer
LOCATION
Port Angeles High School Gymnasium
304 E. Park Avenue
Port Angeles, WA 98362
ELIGIBILITY
Clallam County residents who are at least 16 years of age and received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a previous Port Angeles vaccine clinic
WAIT LIST
Clallam County Health has established a wait list for eligible residents. Signing up for the wait list does not guarantee that you will receive a vaccine. All eligible residents should continue efforts to make an appointment at an upcoming community vaccination clinic regardless of being on the wait list. The wait list is prioritized by phase qualifications and age. If you receive a vaccine elsewhere, please notify Clallam County Health (CCEM_MCenter@co.clallam.wa.us or (360) 417-2430) to be removed from the wait list. SIGN UP
SEQUIM
Updated May 3, 2021
Jamestown Family Health Clinic has recently offered vaccinations for Clallam County residents. There are no vaccination clinics currently scheduled by Jamestown Family Health Clinic. For more information, visit jamestownhealth.org.
Olympic Medical Center has provided additional staffing to support the Jamestown Family Health vaccination clinic in Sequim.
FORKS
Updated May 3, 2021
Forks Community Hospital has recently offered vaccinations for Clallam County residents. There are no vaccination clinics currently scheduled by Forks Community Hospital. For more information, 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.
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.”
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.