COVID-19 vaccination clinic expected to open Monday

KENNEWICK, Wash.-- Qualifying residents in Southeast Washington are expected to have access to the COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination site in Kennewick starting Monday afternoon.

Local officials say the plan is to begin administering shots at 1:00 p.m. Monday at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick.

The site is considered a regional vaccination site, where people from surrounding counties can receive the vaccine.

Local agencies have spent the week scrambling to get the vaccination site set up since Gov. Jay Inslee announced during a press conference Monday that Kennewick would be one of three regional sites established in the state, but the details are still being worked out.

That announcement was how local elected leaders and health officials learned about the clinic.

"We know that there's been no discussion with Benton County about use of the fair grounds, there's no agreement in place. The first they heard it was going to be a vaccination site was (Monday) afternoon in the (Governor's) press conference," Pasco Fire Chief Bob Gear told Pasco City Council at Tuesday night's council meeting.

The National Guard was operating a COVID-19 testing site on Ely St. in Kennewick, but that was closed down earlier this week because the Guard members had been reassigned to a new, unspecified mission.

Anyone wanting to receive the vaccine needs to qualify based on the Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tier 1 eligibility, which include:

• High-risk workers in health care settings
• High-risk first responders
• Residents and staff of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other community-based, congregate living settings where most individuals over 65 years of age are receiving care, supervision, or assistance
• All people 65 years and older
• People 50 years and older in multi-generational households

The opening of the clinic could be delayed if the expected doses of vaccine don't arrive on time.

For other vaccination options in Benton and Franklin Counties, visit the DOH website.