Northwest health care providers are in the midst of a new wave of demand for Covid vaccines. Federal health agencies have authorized booster shots for some adults and vaccinations for younger children may not be far behind.Third Covid vaccine shots and boosters are now available for adults 65 and older, for those 50-to-64 with underlying medical issues and for adults of all ages who work in high-risk settings. That means the demand for shots is going up again. Instead of walking right in and getting a shot, people may have to be patient, says Spokane County Health Officer Francisco Velazquez.
“It will be similar to when we started vaccination. We have to set up distribution. Everybody has to have all the systems in place. It will take a little bit to gear up for the demand, because we do anticipate, given the number of categories that are eligible for boosters, that there will be a large number of people," he said.
There’s also the question of adjusting doses. The amount of vaccine given in boosters and to children is smaller than the original adult doses.
Velazquez says people who can’t get immediate vaccine appointments with their regular providers can try pharmacies in commercial outlets.