Fairgrounds mass vaccination site near Ridgefield to close on May 28Free

The state-run mass vaccination site at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds will close down on May 28, according to the Washington Department of Health.

An announcement Thursday said the state will transition to mobile vaccination clinics after what it described as “a successful four month run” at mass sites in Clark County and Kennewick.

The Tower Mall vaccination site in Vancouver will continue to operate.

The announcement said the new strategy will help the state reach people who have experienced barriers in vaccine access and help distribute shots “more equitably and conveniently across the state of Washington.”

“Since opening January 26, our four state-led mass vaccination sites have administered nearly 300,000 doses of vaccine,” said Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH. “This remarkable achievement could not have been attained if it wasn’t for the hard work of DOH staff, the Washington National Guard, our local and private sector partners, as well as our community members who visited these sites to get vaccinated.”

“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,” Shah said.

The transition to mobile vaccine clinics is well underway, and DOH mobile medical teams have given out more than 32,000 doses of vaccine across the state since distribution began.

The announcement said mobile units will target those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including counties where there are higher gaps for race/ethnicity vaccine administration data, communities with recent outbreaks or increased cases and hospitalizations, those with lower vaccination rates, and those that have experienced COVID-19 health disparities and vaccine inequities.