COVID-19 Vaccine
Updated October 18, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine is available to people age 12 and older. Several health care providers, local pharmacies, and other vaccination sites are offering vaccine in and around Cowlitz County. See our "Vaccine Locations" ↓ section below to find out where you can get vaccinated.
People age 12-17 can only be vaccinated at a location providing the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have not been authorized for vaccination of people under age 18. See our "Data & Information" ↓ section below to learn more about the vaccines.
Booster & Additional Doses
⇊ click the tabs below to see if a booster or additional dose is recommended for you ⇊
✔️ Pfizer-BioNTech | ❌ Moderna | ❌ Johnson & Johnson |
What's a booster dose? A vaccine booster dose may be given to someone whose immune response from the primary vaccine series begins to wane over time or to those at higher risk of severe disease or infection due to working or living conditions.
The following groups should get a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after completing the primary series (first 2 doses):
• People age 65 years and older
• People age 18 years and older living in long-term care settings
• People ages 50-64 with underlying medical conditions
The following groups may get a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after completing the primary series (first 2 doses):
• People ages 18-49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to certain underlying medical conditions
• People ages 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting
At this time, booster doses are not recommended for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine booster doses here: https://bit.ly/2Y0a7Nx.
✔️ Pfizer-BioNTech | ✔️ Moderna | ❌ Johnson & Johnson |
What's an additional dose? An additional dose may be given to people who are immunocompromised and who did not experience a strong immune response to their primary vaccine series.
Moderately to severely immunocompromised people should get an additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after completing the primary series (first 2 doses). This includes people who:
• Are receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Have moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Have advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Are receiving active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune response
At this time, additional doses are not recommended for people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
Learn more about additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine here: https://bit.ly/3CRJDMY.
Vaccine Locations
| Health care providers (find more locations) Kaiser Permanente — 1230 7th Avenue, Longview, WA 98632. Open to members and non-members. — Visit Kaiser's website to check for appointments. PeaceHealth — PeaceHealth has transitioned first dose COVID-19 vaccinations to its primary care clinics. — Contact your local PeaceHealth primary care provider to schedule an appointment or call 833-375-0284. Family Health Center — Visit Family Health Center's website or call (360) 636-3892 to check for appointments. Cowlitz Free Clinic — 945 Washington Way Suite 141, Longview, WA 98632 — Visit Community Health Partners' website to check for appointments. |
Remember! The public cannot get vaccinated at Cowlitz County Health and Human Services offices.
| ☎ Text your zip code to 438-829 (GETVAX) or 822-862 (VACUNA) to find vaccine locations near you! |
| Local pharmacies (find more locations) Safeway — Locations in Longview, Kelso & Woodland are providing vaccine. Visit Safeway’s website to learn more. Rite Aid — Locations in Longview & Kelso are providing vaccine. Visit Rite Aid’s website to learn more. Fred Meyer — A location in Longview is providing vaccine. Visit Fred Meyer’s website to learn more. Walmart — Locations in Longview are providing vaccine. Visit Walmart’s website to learn more. Walgreens — A location in Longview is providing vaccine. Visit Walgreens' website to learn more. |
☎ Have questions?
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Data & Information
Vaccination Progress Last Updated: October 18 | ||
Initiating Vaccination 61,828 (56.0% of total population) Total number of Cowlitz County residents who have received at least 1 dose. | Completing Vaccination 56,298 (50.9% of total population) Total number of Cowlitz County residents who have completed vaccination. | |
Vaccination Coverage Last Updated: October 7 | ||
Higher Vaccine Coverage (% Completed) | Lower Vaccine Coverage (% Completed) | |
Ages 65-79 (74%) Age 80+ (68%) Ages 50-64 (65%) Ages 35-49 (56%) | Ages 12-17 (33%) Ages 18-34 (48%) | |
Castle Rock (69%) Ryderwood (57%) Kalama (50%) | SE Rural County** (35%) Kelso (44%) NE Rural County*** (45%) Woodland (47%) Longview (48%) | |
Pacific Islander (76%) Asian (66%) Black (49%) White (46%) American Indian (46%)* | Multiracial**** (1%) Hispanic (30%) | |
Females (53%) | Males (46%) | |
*The coverage rate for American Indians is statistically similar to the county average.
**Rural SE Cowlitz County includes Ariel and Cougar.
***Rural NE Cowlitz County includes Silver Lake and Toutle.
****Multiracial vaccinations are likely underreported due to limitations in collecting race data at the time of vaccination.
Several COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These vaccines were shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials. They were developed, tested and authorized using the same rigorous process used for other successful vaccines. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was fully approved by the FDA in August 2021 for people age 16 years and older. The vaccine received emergency use authorization (EUA) in December 2020. It continues to be available under EUA, including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age.
|
U.S. FDA EUA vaccine fact sheets
Facts about COVID-19 vaccines
Getting vaccinated for COVID-19
How mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Work
COVID-19 Vaccine Safety: What to Know
How Viral Vector COVID-19 Vaccines Work
Frequently Asked Questions
| Q: How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe? |
| A: The COVID-19 vaccines have gone through rigorous studies to ensure they are as safe as possible. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the vaccines for emergency use and found no serious safety concerns. Independent experts confirmed the vaccines met high safety and efficacy standards. Systems that allow CDC to watch for safety issues are in place across the entire country. Watch this video to learn how emergency use authorization works.
Clinical trials for all vaccines must first show they meet rigorous criteria for safety and effectiveness before any vaccine, including the COVID-19 vaccines, can be authorized or approved for use. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine must outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine. Learn more about how federal partners are ensuring the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. from the CDC: https://bit.ly/3fgqYS3. |
| Q: What are the side effects of COVID-19 vaccine? |
| A: You may have mild, short-term side effects after getting COVID-19 vaccine. This is normal and means your body is building protection against the virus. Some people have no side effects, but the vaccine is still building protection. Common side effects can include:
• Soreness or redness where you got the shot
• Headache
• Tiredness
• A low fever (less than 100.4)
Side effects usually go away on their own within a few days.
If you received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you should still get the second dose even if you have side effects after the first dose, unless a vaccination provider or your doctor tells you not to. For many people, the side effects are more noticeable after the second dose. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose. |
| Q: Will I be charged for the vaccine? |
| A: COVID-19 vaccine is provided at no cost. You should not be charged an administration fee. Also, your provider should not charge or bill you if you only go in to get vaccinated. |
| Q: Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to get the vaccine? |
| A: No. You do not need to be a U.S. citizen to get COVID-19 vaccine. You do not need a social security number, or other documents with your immigration status, to get the vaccine. Some vaccine providers might ask for a social security number, but you do not have to give one. |
| Q: Why am I being asked to show my insurance card? |
| A: When you get COVID-19 vaccine, your provider may ask if you have an insurance card. This is so they can get reimbursed for giving you the vaccine. If you do not have insurance coverage, tell your provider. You will still get the vaccine at no-cost. |
| Q: If I already had COVID-19 and recovered, do I still need to get vaccinated? |
| A: Yes. You should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19. Experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. Even if you have already recovered from COVID-19, it is possible — although rare — that you could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 again. |
| Q: Should I wait to get vaccinated if I had COVID-19 and recovered? |
| A: If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions . Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19 in real-world conditions. |
| Q: How long does it take until the vaccine is fully working? |
| A: It typically takes two weeks for the body to build immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or after the second vaccine dose of Pfizer or Moderna. |
| Q: Do I need to wear a mask and avoid close contact if I've been fully vaccinated? |
| A: Yes, in most cases. Even after you get vaccinated, you should continue to wear face coverings when around people you don’t live with, stay at least 6 feet from others, avoid gatherings and wash your hands frequently. The state Secretary of Health is currently requiring people five years of age and older to wear a mask in public indoor settings, and at large, outdoor events with 500 or more attendees, regardless of vaccination status. Read more about masks and face coverings from the stat Department of Health here: https://bit.ly/30xKnZz |
| Q: Why was use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine paused? |
| A: As of April 24, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available for use again. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on April 23 to review data on six reported U.S. cases of a rare type of blood clot, called thrombosis, in individuals after receiving the vaccine.
The ACIP voted to reaffirm its recommendation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for people age 18 years and older. This move came after the Washington State Department of Health paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine starting on April 13, following the guidance of the FDA/CDC.
The reported adverse events appear to be extremely rare. Still, COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority. The response by the CDC and FDA demonstrates how well the robust vaccine safety monitoring systems work. The potential safety concern was identified quickly and vaccines were paused to allow for further investigation.
These six cases all occurred in women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6-13 days after vaccination. People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within 3 weeks of vaccination should contact their health care provider. Learn more about the Johnson & Johnson update from the Washington State Department of Health here: https://bit.ly/3xocczv, or view the flyers below: • Update on availability of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine (English) |
| Q: Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine? |
| A: COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19. None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines or COVID-19 vaccines currently in development in the U.S. contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building protection against the virus that causes COVID-19.
It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after vaccination. That means it’s possible a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and still get sick. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection. Learn more about how the COVID-19 vaccines work from the CDC: https://bit.ly/3dUuBfq. |
| Q: Will I test positive on a viral test after getting the COVID-19 vaccine? |
| A: No. None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection. Neither can any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently in clinical trials in the U.S. If your body develops an immune response to vaccination, which is the goal, you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you may have some level of protection against the virus. Experts are currently looking at how COVID-19 vaccination may affect antibody testing results. |
| Q: Can people who get the COVID-19 vaccine shed the virus from their vaccination and infect others? |
| A: No. Viral shedding occurs when a person is infected with a live virus. As part of their illness, the virus is reproduced and these whole viral particles can be passed to another person through secretions (like saliva or mucus). When another person comes into contact with these viral particles, they can become infected and develop disease.
The COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for use only produce one protein – the spike protein found on the surface of the virus. No other proteins from the virus are made, and the whole virus is not able to be produced from these vaccines. That means whole viral particles are never present in the body and, as a result, cannot be shed (or spread) to other people. |
| Q: Is it safe for me to get the COVID-19 vaccine if I would like to have a baby one day? |
| A: Yes. If you are trying to become pregnant now or want to get pregnant in the future, you may get a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available to you.
There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 vaccination causes any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines.
Like all vaccines, scientists are studying COVID-19 vaccines carefully for side effects now and will continue to study them for many years. |
| Q: What mechanisms are in place to monitor COVID-19 vaccine safety? |
| A: The U.S. uses many different systems to track vaccine safety, including:
• Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS): VAERS is the nation’s early warning system used by FDA and CDC to collect reports of adverse events after vaccination. VAERS is not designed to assess cause and effect so VAERS reports alone cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event or illness.
• V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker: V-safe is a is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Through v-safe, you can quickly tell the CDC if you have any side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Project: CISA is a collaboration between CDC and seven medical research centers to provide expert consultation on individual cases and conduct clinical research studies about vaccine safety.
• Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD): VSD is a collaborative project between CDC’s Immunization Safety Office and nine health care organizations. The VSD started in 1990 and continues today in order to monitor safety of vaccines and conduct studies about rare and serious adverse events following immunization. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine safety from the CDC: https://bit.ly/3y2Hmge. |
| Q: Will getting the COVID-19 vaccine make me an asymptomatic spreader? |
| A: We have a growing amount of data that shows the COVID-19 vaccines are effective at preventing asymptomatic infection: • In one study, regular testing of health care workers, first responders and other essential frontline workers showed the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 90% effective against COVID-19 infections, regardless of symptom status.
• Another US study showed 80% reduction in asymptomatic infection among those who had been vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna, and an Israeli study showed a 94% reduction in asymptomatic infection with the Pfizer vaccine.
The data shows us vaccines are very good at preventing COVID-19 illness, but they’re not 100% perfect – no vaccine is. That is why people who are fully vaccinated still need to wear face coverings in certain settings (like bigger gatherings). But as we learn more about the real-world effectiveness of the vaccines and as more people get vaccinated (which gives the virus fewer places to go), the recommendations are adjusted. This is why recommendations around masking and distancing among those who are fully vaccinated have relaxed in recent weeks. Learn more about the data from the CDC: https://bit.ly/33nXISC and https://bit.ly/3nWjTc4. |
| Q: Are mRNA vaccines safe? |
| A: mRNA vaccines are new, but not unknown. Researchers have been studying and working with mRNA vaccines for decades. Interest has grown in these vaccines because they can be developed in a laboratory using readily available materials. This means the process can be standardized and scaled up, making vaccine development faster than traditional methods of making vaccines.
mRNA vaccines have been studied before for flu, Zika, rabies, and cytomegalovirus. As soon as the necessary information about the virus that causes COVID-19 was available, scientists began designing the mRNA instructions for cells to build the unique spike protein into an mRNA vaccine. Future mRNA vaccine technology may allow for one vaccine to provide protection for multiple diseases, thus decreasing the number of shots needed for protection against common vaccine-preventable diseases. Learn more about mRNA vaccines from the CDC: https://bit.ly/3uwMqYc. |
How COVID Vaccines Are Made
How Can Vaccine and Antibody Studies Move So Quickly and Still Be Safe?
Making Sense of Vaccines During COVID-19
More resources• For answers to COVID-19 vaccine FAQs, informational videos, distribution updates and additional guidance from the state Department of Health, click here. • For answers to COVID-19 vaccine FAQs about safety, development and planning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, click here. |
Recent News
Health officials urge caution amid rising COVID-19 cases in Cowlitz County
August 6, 2021
Rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in Cowlitz County are prompting health officials to urge residents to get vaccinated if they have not already and to wear face coverings in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status, to curb the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.
Read more...
COVID-19 vaccination significantly reduces risk of hospitalization in Southwest Washington
July 27, 2021
A new report analyzing vaccination status of Southwest Washington residents hospitalized for COVID-19 shows that vaccination can reduce the risk of hospitalization by as much as 90%.
Read more...
Vaccine site at Cowlitz County Event Center closes, mobile clinic to open in Kelso this Saturday
May 17, 2021
Cowlitz County Health and Human Services will focus on making COVID-19 vaccine accessible at temporary mobile clinics after closing the mass vaccination site at the Cowlitz County Event Center last Sunday.
Read more...
Statewide reopening date set for June 30, Cowlitz County will move to Phase 3 next week
May 13, 2021
Cowlitz County, along with all other counties in the state, will move to Phase 3 of the state’s “Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery” reopening plan effective May 18 until June 30.
Read more…
Final day to get COVID-19 vaccine at Cowlitz County Event Center is Sunday, May 16
May 12, 2021
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be offered at the Cowlitz County Event Center, 1900 7th Ave, Longview, for the last time this Sunday, May 16.
Read more…
Recent Videos
“Local Matters” KLTV
April 7, 2021
Speaker: Dr. Steven Krager, Deputy Health Officer for Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties
Watch here...
Virtual Community Briefing
February 1, 2021
Speakers: Dr. Steven Krager, Deputy Health Officer for Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties, and Lauren Jenks, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Public Health for the Washington State Department of Health.
Watch here...
Want to help?
| Cowlitz County Health and Human Services partners with Region IV Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response for volunteers during public health emergencies. • Information on how to volunteer for the Regional Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) can be found on this Clark County Public Health emergency response volunteers webpage. • Information on how to volunteer through the Washington State Emergency Registry of Volunteers (WAserv) can be found on the state's community health volunteer webpage. |