After Thurston County missed its vaccination goal on Wednesday, Thurston County officials expressed confidence in the county's ability to eventually reach its goal.
Demand for COVID-19 vaccines started slowing down around the end of April after all residents 16 or older became eligible. In recent weeks, the county's vaccination rate has only increased by single-digit percentage points week over week.
The slowdown has led to the county falling short of its goal of having 70% of its 16-and-older population initiate vaccinations by June 30. State data show 61.6% of those 16 and older had initiated vaccination and 56.3% had been fully vaccinated as of June 28.
To adapt, Thurston County Public Health and Social Services director Schelli Slaughter told The Olympian the county has pivoted from mass vaccination events to offering smaller, mobile clinics in partnership with businesses, churches and non-profits.
"We're reaching a lot of people, but what I have been sharing with our team is, 'We're in this phase where it's not about quantity, it's about quality.'" Slaughter said. "It's about building trust, sharing information with people and meeting them where they are at."
In separate conversations with the Thurston County Commissioners, each of them said they approved of PHSS's efforts so far, but some shared concerns about the county reopening.
Commissioner Carolina Mejia said she believes the county can reach the 70% vaccination goal, but called the recent statewide reopening a "double-edged sword."
"We want to bring economic recovery back into our county and support our small businesses, but it also makes me wary," Mejia said. "If people are not getting vaccinated, then this is also affecting small businesses because we can get shut down again. No one wants that."
Commissioner Gary Edwards said he respects people who are choosing to sit out getting vaccinated because he values individual choice.
"I think (most of) the people that wanted the shot and were in fear of their situation, whatever that is. ... I think those people have gotten that shot," Edwards said. "I think many people are going to watch and see how this thing progresses."
Commissioner Tye Menser said people who are hesitant to be vaccinated need to be persuaded by their local businesses and communities rather than government.
"Those are the kind of tools we're going to have to engage in to move the needle further and faster," Menser said. "I don't think more messaging from county government is going to make a difference. I think we've done what we can."
Mejia said she thinks meeting the county's vaccination goal is a community-wide issue that requires continued engagement, even from people who have already been vaccinated.
"I feel like everyone really needs to be pitching in on this and trying to get the correct information out there for people," Mejia said. "Everyone wants to go see their families and travel again and get back on it. I don't think we're going to be able to do that at the pace we're going."
How does Thurston County compare?
When counting people who are fully vaccinated, Thurston County ranks ninth out of 39 counties in Washington state. While the county may be doing better than most, it has fallen behind the larger and more diverse King County.
As of Monday, about 78% of King County residents 16 and older have initiated vaccinations.
When asked how the county fell behind King County, Slaughter initially said she couldn't be sure. In a follow-up statement, Slaughter wrote that the comparison is hard to make given the multitude of factors, but noted that King County has a large network of vaccine providers and local partners.
Supply and allocation issues hampered vaccination efforts across the state, she wrote, and this varied by county. She also pointed out that Thurston County's vaccination rates are higher than nearby counties including Pierce, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Mason and Pacific counties.
"While I am very proud of our Thurston County COVID response and vaccine efforts, I don't think the differences in county vaccine rates are because Thurston is doing something better or worse than other local health jurisdictions," Slaughter said.
She said she thinks local health jurisdictions across the state have done their best under the circumstances and most, including Thurston County, have received federal funding to host mass vaccination events and mobile clinics.
The differences among the counties may in part be due to differing vaccine hesitancy rates. Data on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found Thurston County had an estimated hesitant or unsure rate of 11.9%.
This rate is lower than each of Thurston County's direct neighbors. However, the CDC's data also show King County had an estimated hesitant or unsure rate of 8.7%.
The CDC predicted these hesitancy rates by using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey collected between May 26 and June 7. The hesitant or unsure category includes those who responded "probably not," "definitely not," or "unsure" when asked if they would get a vaccine.
What is the county doing to reach its vaccination goal?
Slaughter told The Olympian PHSS is using mobile clinics to reach vulnerable populations, faith-based communities and workers at businesses.
"While some counties are ramping down their efforts, in Thurston County we are continuing to accelerate, adapt and tailor our vaccine efforts to better meet community needs," Slaughter said.
PHSS also is working to address misinformation and accessibility challenges. She said a lot of the misinformation PHSS has pushed back on has been about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
"We are trying to get as much factual information out there as possible and doing different types of campaigns and outreach efforts to different groups to try to address some of those concerns and myths," Slaughter said.
She said the three available vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson — are safe and effective in reducing hospitalizations and deaths.
County Health Officer Dimyana Abdelmalek has repeatedly shared community letters addressing frequently asked questions about vaccines. PHSS is also active on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
However, the county has only about 2,700 followers on Twitter, 1,100 followers on Instagram and 12,500 followers on Facebook. With a population of about 290,000 people, Thurston County officials may not be reaching most of the county on social media alone.
In recent weeks, the weekly age of Thurston County residents diagnosed with COVID-19 has shifted toward younger age groups. To meet that population, Slaughter said PHSS has been hosting school-based clinics and looking at ways to partner with youth mentors in the community.
Slaughter said PHSS recently hired a special populations coordinator and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion coordinator to focus on increasing vaccine uptake in disadvantaged communities.
However, she said these two positions have yet to affect any policy.
