Congrats to Care-a-Van for surpassing 1,000 doses administered

Care-a-Van, DOH’s mobile COVID-19 vaccination effort, recently reached a major milestone – administering 1,000 doses since the initiative began in June. As of Oct. 11, the Care-a-Van team administered more than 1,300 doses and participated in 72 events around the state.

The Care-a-Van team works closely with local health jurisdictions and community partners to serve communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, using data from the Social Vulnerability Index to prioritize outreach.

For example, Care-a-Van recently provided two vaccine clinics in Forks, in partnership with the Port Angeles community-based organization First Step Family Support Center. The events were aimed at providing vaccines to immigrant workers from Mexico and Central America who work in the forest gathering salal, an evergreen plant used in bouquets and wreaths. This is a population that is extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 because many families live communally and do not have health insurance or formal education. The first clinic administered 36 doses and the second administered 32 doses, with First Step providing a lot of outreach before the events to educate people about the vaccine and take time to work through their concerns.

Want to know more about Care-A-Van? You can find information, a service request form, FAQs, and more on the Care-A-Van webpage, or email questions to equity@doh.wa.gov or call 800-525-0127.