Enumclaw is on its way to being vaccinated.

According to Enumclaw Fire Department’s Chief Randy Fehr, about 8,000 residents have started the COVID-19 vaccination process, and of those, 5,000 have received both their shots.

But that still leaves thousands left to go, and as we are constantly reminded by various government officials and media outlets, demand continues to far exceed supply.

Luckily, new vaccine programs in Enumclaw and King County as a whole can help those people out.

On a local level, Dr. Nancy Becker just opened her own coronavirus vaccine clinic. Located at 1427 Jefferson Ave., Suite 101, Enumclaw residents simply have to call 360-825-4466 to set up an appointment.

The first appointments are being scheduled for Fridays, between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m., but the second appointment can be made between Mondays through Thursdays during regular operating hours.

Vaccine appointments are first come, first serve, and appointment openings can run out quickly.

“Today, we have 100 vaccines,” said Office Manager Sandy Dodge during her clinic’s first vaccination day on Friday, April 23. “We found out this morning we have approval for another 100, and then I was on the phone with the county yesterday, and we have another 100 coming in the following week. So we have at least two more clinics we can do.”

For more information about this vaccine clinic, head to www.drnancybecker.com/moderna-covid-19-vaccine-now-available/.

“IN-HOME” VACCINE PROGRAM

While there are numerous places you can go in King County to receive a vaccine, not everyone is able to leave their home to get one.

For those folks, Public Health — Seattle & King County announced last week the launch of an in-home coronavirus vaccination program “to deliver vaccinations to these residents where they need it most,” reads a Public Health Insider blog post about the program. “This is an exciting addition to King County’s multi-modal vaccination approach and continues our commitment to equitable vaccine delivery by removing barriers to access.”

However, demand for in-home vaccinations is high, and it could take several weeks before eligible patients are able to receive their vaccination.

“We’re getting about 40 calls per day right now,” said Public Health’s Kate Cole. “We’re in the midst of bringing on new mobile teams to provide these vaccines so I can’t give a firm number on the number of appointments anticipated per day. Overall, as our capacity increases we anticipate increasing the number of in-home vaccination appointments we can provide.”

If you’re eligible — which means you’re over 16 years old; have not yet been vaccinated; have an injury, developmental disability, or medical condition that makes it difficult to leave the home; and it would require “considerable and taxing effort” to get vaccinated outside of the home — all you need to do is call the King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977 (which is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.) to set up an appointment.

You will first be asked a few questions to confirm eligibility, and then you’ll be asked to give verbal consent to be vaccinated.

For those who can’t give verbal consent, family members and caregivers are able to make appointments on the patient’s behalf.

After eligibility is determined, you’ll then receive a call from a mobile vaccination team to schedule an appointment.

On the day of your appointment, a team of two or three people will come to your home and will give you the vaccine anywhere in your home — including your bed or bedroom.

It’s recommended that you wear a short-sleeved shirt for the appointment to make receiving the vaccine easier.

After receiving the vaccine, the vaccination team will wait 15 to 30 minutes to watch for any bad reactions.