State replacing some mass vaccination sites with mobile clinics

OLYMPIA — Two of the four state-run mass vaccination sites will close at the end of the month, as the Washington Department of Health shifts its focus to mobile vaccine clinics.

The mass vaccination sites in Vancouver and Kennewick will close, but the sites in Spokane and Wenatchee will remain open.

The shift is part of a planned transition to bring vaccines more directly to communities that need them.

“This transition isn’t closing a door to vaccine opportunity but opening several new ones that will allow for more equitable vaccine access in the future,” State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said in a news release.

The mobile teams will focus on regions disproportionately impacted by the virus, communities recently experiencing outbreaks and regions where vaccination rates are lagging.