Pierce County boosts vaccine rollout with six-week T-Dome event, new Lakewood clinic
Local health officials this week announced two new COVID-19 vaccine drives to boost Pierce County’s numbers of those both initiating vaccines and becoming fully vaccinated.
The county has lagged both the state and surrounding counties in percentage of those vaccinated, while seeing higher numbers of cases spread.
TACOMA DOME EVENT
Pierce County’s Department of Emergency Management will launch a mass vaccination site at the Tacoma Dome for six weeks starting April 27.
The goal is to vaccinate at least 1,170 people each day and administer an estimated 34,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which is open to anyone age 16 and older.
A parent or guardian must accompany any 16- or 17-year-old seeking the vaccine.
The site will operate from noon to 8 p.m. each day, seven days a week, excluding holidays, offering both drive-thru and walk-up appointments. Language assistance also will be available.
“We want to beat this virus as quickly as possible, and now our residents have a convenient and easy way to get vaccinated,” said County Executive Bruce Dammeier. “I encourage everyone to make an appointment at the Tacoma Dome as soon as possible so they protect themselves, their loved ones and our community.”
Pierce County says it will continue to operate vaccination sites – including second-dose events – in other parts of the county in addition to the Tacoma Dome clinic.
The T-Dome clinic will be administering first doses the first three weeks, at which their second dose will be scheduled to occur in the last three weeks of the clinic.
To register, go to FindYourCovidShot.com and pick the day you want to be vaccinated. You can also call 253-798-8900 for help.
According to the county’s announcement, “Families signing up on the same day can come to the earliest appointment and get vaccinated, but each eligible person must have an appointment.”
Pierce Transit will offer free bus rides to or from the site. According to the announcement:
“Pierce Transit’s Route 42 runs in front of the Tacoma Dome, where people with appointments can walk from the bus stop to the walk-up vaccination station at the site. In addition, Tacoma Dome Station is just a five-minute walk from the Tacoma Dome. That location is served by Pierce Transit and Sound Transit buses, Sounder trains, and Link Light Rail.”
Pierce County Emergency Management has vaccinated more than 50,000 people since it began mass vaccination events in late January.
NEW CLINIC IN LAKEWOOD
A newly created vaccine clinic offering the Pfizer vaccine three days a week opened this week in Lakewood.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, in an update Tuesday, said the vaccine clinic has been established at Lakewood Towne Center at the former Dress Barn location, 10330 59th Ave. SW, Suite B, Lakewood. The clinic is open three days a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. to everyone 16 and older.
A parent or guardian must sign a vaccine consent form for 16- and 17-year-olds, although those who sign it do not need to be present at the time of vaccination.
Registration for an appointment at the site is available at tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture or call (253) 649-1412, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 7 days a week. The site also will have extra doses on hand for 50 or so walk-in appointments a day if you do not have internet or phone access to register ahead of time.
More information on where to find vaccines and mass vaccine clinic registration is also available at Pierce County’s FindYourCovidShot.com
This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 2:43 PM.
