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The drive is a little bit shorter, for Mill Creek residents ready to vaccinate for COVID-19.

Vaccine eligibility opened up on April 15 to include everyone older than 16, and Snohomish County is about to open its seventh mass vaccination site at 16327 Ash Way, in Lynnwood, at the Ash Way Park & Ride. The opened Wednesday, April 21, just 10 minutes from Mill Creek's Town Center, and it is currently offering the Pfizer vaccine.

Pfizer is the only vaccine cleared for minors between the ages of 16 and 18. The other mass vaccination site currently offering Pfizer in the county is at the Arlington Airport, nearly an hour from Mill Creek's Town Center.

Updated details on which vaccines are offered at the mass vaccination sites are available along with the registration links at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine.

As of April 19, Pfizer availability is listed at the Ash Way and Arlington mass vaccination sites, as well as Fred Meyer, Walgreens, and QFC. Check with each location to assure Pfizer availability before scheduling for someone between the ages of 16 and 18.

The new mass vaccination site at is operated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce. It is planned for open hours Wednesday through Sunday, with appointments from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on vaccine availability. The vaccine taskforce is looking into increasing evening and weekend appointments at other sites as well.

Before you go

All expansion of available appointment times is dependent on vaccine availability.

The Ash Way site offers two types of appointment-registration: walk-in and drive-through. All appointments must be made in advance, but the Snohomish Health District is offering a wait-list option.

Anyone arriving to the clinic via transit will be directed to the walk-up clinic. The Ash Way site partners with Community Transit, and information on getting to the site via transit is here: http://www.communitytransit.org/ashwayvax.

Any minors being vaccinated at a mass vaccination site need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian who will be asked to sign a release. The minor and the adult should both arrive with identification. For the teen, a driver's license or birth certificate can be used as I.D.

Update on kids and COVID-19

Children younger than 16 are not yet cleared for vaccination. Data has shown they are low-risk for severe disease that leads to hospitalization or death. However, they are not always spared from lingering illness, now called "Long COVID."

In the minimal data available, a study of 29 children in Italy showed symptomatic children showing signs of illness months later, with 42.6% "impaired by these symptoms during daily activities." Troublesome symptoms were fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headache, insomnia, respiratory problems and palpitations: all symptoms described in adults with Long COVID: https://bit.ly/3aoYK4m. Pfizer submitted a request for emergency use vaccination in kids ages 12 to 15, on April 9:

Pfizer sought approval for kids 12 to 15 years of age on April 9: https://bit.ly/3dxArU8.

Scheduling options

Options to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine are as follows, including the new Ash Way site and other mass vaccination sites:

1) On the health district website: http://bit.ly/snocovaccine using the registration link provided for the Ash Way site. Walk-up and for drive-through appointments are separated during registration, and a wait-list is offered.

2) Call 425-339-5278 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The call center also assists with referrals to the taskforce's mobile vaccination team, for homebound people in need of a vaccination.

3) PrepMod.doh.wa.gov also offers the Ash Way site as a scheduling option.

Editor's note: Have a question? Reader inquiries are invited at [email protected].