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Spokane's Covid Mass Vaccination Site Opens This Morning

Doug Nadvornick/SPR

Vaccinations against the coronavirus are on track to begin at the Spokane Arena Wednesday morning.

The Community Health Association of Spokane, or CHAS, is the lead provider under the direction of Washington’s Department of Health and the Spokane Regional Health District.“We have 3,000 Moderna vaccines we will be distributing through next Tuesday, and in the interim we anticipate reviving a secondary supply. We don't know what that allotment will be and exactly what date we will get those," said Kelley Charvet, CHAS's chief administrative officer.

Charvet says drive-up appointments won’t get you a shot. You must make an appointment first.

But even before that, she says you’ll have to confirm their eligibility by visiting the Phasefinder page on the state health department website.

“They will either print that eligibility screen or take a screen shot, and then from there, visit the CHAS.org website. We've got a page that is dedicated to the Covid vaccine, and work through the registration process the remainder of the way to secure their spot," she said.

Charvet says if someone does not have internet access, they can call the Department of Health to have staff help them register.??Those currently eligible for the shots are healthcare workers, first line responders, long-term care facility residents, all people 65 or older, or anyone 50 or older living in a multi-generational household.

The Arena vaccination site will be open 9 to 5 weekdays, and 9 to 3 weekends.?

 

Steve was part of the Spokane Public Radio family for many years before he came on air in 1999. His wife, Laurie, produced Radio Ethiopia in the late 1980s through the '90s, and Steve used to “lurk in the shadowy world” of Weekend SPR. Steve has done various on air shifts at the station, including nearly 15 years as the local Morning Edition host. Currently, he is the voice of local weather and news during All Things Considerd, writing, editing, producing and/or delivering newscasts and features for both KPBX and KSFC. Aside from SPR, Steve ,who lives in the country, enjoys gardening, chickens, playing and listening to music, astronomy, photography, sports cars and camping.