Gov. Jay Inslee attempts to incentivize residents of the state to get a COVID vaccine
At a time when Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is attempting to incentivize the decision to voluntarily receive a COVID-19 vaccination, it appears Clark County residents are a little more reluctant than others in the state to get the vaccine.
Clark County Public Health reported Friday that as of May 31, 45 percent of Clark County residents, including 57 percent of residents 16 years or older, have at least one dose. Thirty-eight percent of Clark County residents, 48 percent of residents 16 years or older, have at completed their vaccinations.
The Washington State Department of Health recently reported that more than 7,071,595 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given across the state. Nearly 63 percent of people 16-and-older around the state have received at least one dose and 54 percent of Washington residents are fully vaccinated.
This information can be found on the DOH data dashboard under the vaccinations tab, which is updated three times per week.
Incentives offered
On Thursday, Inslee announced a suite of new incentives to help encourage unvaccinated Washingtonians to get the COVID shot.
The Washington State Lottery will be conducting a “Shot of a Lifetime” giveaway series during the month of June, working with state agencies, technology companies, sports teams and higher education institutions across the state to offer a myriad of different prizes to vaccinated individuals.
The incentives announced include:
- Lottery cash drawings, with prizes totaling $2 million
- Higher education tuition and expense assistance
- Sports tickets and gear
- Gift cards
- Airline tickets
- Game systems and smart speakers
“These generous programs will encourage more Washingtonians to take this life-saving vaccine,” Inslee said during a press conference Thursday. “I hope people will see this as an opportunity to reopen even sooner than June 30 if we can stay motivated, stay informed and get more people vaccinated faster throughout the month of June.”
Washington is set to reopen fully on June 30, or when the percentage of eligible adults who have initiated vaccination reaches 70 percent, whichever comes first.
Vaccine in Clark County
Those interested in vaccines in Clark County can visit the Clark County Public Health website for details.
Clark County and the city of Vancouver continue to operate the vaccination site at Tower Mall, which is scheduled to close at the end of the day on June 29. The site will continue to provide first and second doses of Pfizer through the last day of operations. Anyone who visits the site through June 8, will be able to return there for their second dose. Those who get a first dose after June 8 will need to go to another location offering Pfizer to get a second dose.
Public Health will direct those individuals to local Safeway or Albertsons pharmacies, all of which are offering Pfizer and accepting walk-ins.
Friday COVID-19 update
A total of 64 total new cases (confirmed and antigen probable). The 58 new confirmed cases brings the total to 23,702 to date. The six new antigen probable cases brings the total to 1,418 to date.
There was one new confirmed death: a man in his 60s with underlying health conditions. There have been 273 total deaths in Clark County to date (241 confirmed, 32 suspect).
There are currently 487 active cases (in isolation period) and 43 COVID-19 patients hospitalized. Two people hospitalized awaiting COVID-19 test results.
Confirmed cases are people with a positive molecular (PCR) test for COVID-19. Antigen probable cases are people with a positive antigen test and no molecular test. A confirmed death means COVID is listed as cause of death or contributing factor on the death certificate and the case has a positive COVID test.
More information can be found on the Clark County Public Health COVID-19 data webpage: https://clark.wa.gov/public-health/covid-19-data
VAERS website
Those who are concerned about the COVID-19 vaccines, or are seeking more information about potential adverse reactions, should visit the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) website.
VAERS is co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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