News & Information

COVID-19 Testing Results Update for Kitsap County as of 11:00 a.m. November 4

• Positive tests to date: 17,177
• Deaths to date: 245
• View Kitsap Public Health's COVID-19 surveillance report - Disponible en Español
• DATA UPDATE: The rate of new cases reported per 100,000 population over 7 days. Previously, the rate was new cases per 100,000 over 14 days.  
• The COVID-19 Bulletin now publishes on an occassional basis. The Bulletin will continue to highlight recovery resources for businesses and families, as well as new guidance from the state, typically once or twice each month. The COVID-19 Weekly Outlook from KPHD will continue to provide the latest public health information on the pandemic. To subscribe to the Weekly Outlook click here and select "COVID-19 updates" under Kitsap Public Health District on the menu.  

Now is the time to get your COVID-19 vaccine. Visit Kitsap County Public Health at kcowa.us/vaccine and sign up here for vaccine updates from Kitsap Public Health.

COVID-19 vaccine now available for children ages 5-11

Over this past week expert panels convened by the FDA, CDC, and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup all recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as safe and highly effective for children ages 5-11 on evidence from clinical trials. The FDA has authorized use of the vaccine for this age group. Yesterday, the Washington State Department of Health expanded COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to include children as young as five years of age.

What you need to know:

• Why is the COVID-19 vaccination recommended for kids? While COVID-19 is often more mild in younger children, kids can experience severe and even life-threatening illness from COVID-19. Children with underlying medical conditions are especially at risk for severe illness. Children can also spread COVID-19 to others. 
• Is it safe? More than 3,000 children ages 5-11 have participated in a clinical trial for the Pfizer vaccine. No serious side effects have been detected in the study, which is ongoing. Results from the trial indicated the vaccine provided similar protection for children 5-11 as it did for adolescents and adults. 
• How will the vaccine help kids? Vaccination helps protect children from getting COVID-19, and reduces their risk of severe illness or hospitalization if they are infected. It also protects the health of vulnerable family members, friends, and community members. By getting children vaccinated, families can help keep classrooms open and keep kids engaged in healthy activities.
• What are the side effects? Temporary side effects reported for children 5-11 have typically been mild and similar to those experienced by older patients. They can include pain, redness, and swelling around the injection site (shoulder), and tiredness, headache, muscle ache, fever, and nausea. These symptoms typically go away in about two days. 
  

  • More severe health events, including myocarditis, have occurred in people who have received the Pfizer vaccine. These events are very rare. Learn more.  

  • According to the CDC, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks. 

• Supplies of the vaccine may be limited initially. The vaccine dose recommended for kids 5-11 has been specially formulated for younger children and is different from the dose available for people 12 and older. This means providers have to order special vaccine supplies to serve this age group. Appointments may be limited at first. Please be patient. 
• Start with the child's regular healthcare provider to find out if they are offering vaccination for 5-11 year-olds before contacting other vaccine providers. Some providers will only be offering vaccination to their existing patients, so it is best to reach out to your own provider first. 
• Click here for a fact sheet that includes basic information about Pfizer vaccination for children and a listing of local providers. 

Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine clinic

Kitsap Public Health District will be  offering a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination clinic for children ages 5-11 on Nov. 12 in Bremerton. Appointments are required. For full clinic details and important notices for parents, see the calendar listing for this clinic at kcowa.us/vaccine.

We will open appointments for this clinic at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 5 at www.kphd.timetap.com. Space is limited and we expect appointments to fill quickly.

Other providers may have appointments available for this age group. Find a list of local providers here: https://kitsappublichealth.org/.../PediatricVaccinationUp...

Be GREAT when facing stress

The challenges of this pandemic to impact us on many levels, including increased stress and anxiety. Dr. Krystal Lews of the National Institute of Mental Health has provided a simple outline of practices to help manage stress. 

Gratitude: Be grateful. Find small things each day to be grateful about. This might be when you wake up in the morning or in the evening before bed. What are the small things throughout the day that you can express gratitude for?

Relaxation: Practice relaxation. Do things that help you to calm down and relax.

Exercise: Engage in exercise. We know that physical health and mental health are tied together.

Acknowledge feelings: Be aware of the many feelings you have, and accept them as they occur. Right now, things are very frustrating. You may be feeling angry at some of the things that we're seeing on the news. We might feel anxious about our health and our family's health. Whatever feelings that you are experiencing, know that it's okay. Accept them, acknowledge them, and then make sure that you use one of these practices to help manage them.

Track thoughts: Track your thoughts and change them. Ensure that you are engaging in helpful thinking. We all have thoughts that, oftentimes, aren't the most helpful. So if you pay attention to your thinking patterns, you can then engage in more helpful thinking.

For more, check out https://go.usa.gov/xsCSH

Phone assistance for vaccine records

There is a vaccine helpline from the Washington State Department of Health available to assist you in getting a copy of your COVID-19 vaccine record. Call toll-free 1-833-829-4357 Tuesday - Sunday 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Mondays from 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Kitsap drive thru testing available at four sites

Testing remains a vital tool in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Convenient drive thru test sites remain available four days each week. The hours on Saturdays at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds are from 9 a.m. - noon. Testing at the other three locations is available from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Here is the full list of locations: 

- Mondays: Bainbridge Island - Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, 11042 Sunrise Dr NE 

- Tuesdays: Bremerton - Harborside Parking Garage, 100 Washington Ave.

- Thursdays: Poulsbo - City Hall Parking Garage, 200 Moe St.

- Saturdays: Central Kitsap - Fairgrounds (Sheep Barn), 1200 Fairgrounds Rd NW

Registration is recommended for all locations to guarantee a spot and for faster service. For more information, visit kcowa.us/covidtesting. Additionally, Kitsap Public Health District regularly updates the list of local test providers. Questions about test sites? Call 2-1-1.

REPORTING OVER-THE-COUNTER COVID-19 TESTS: People who test themselves at home should report their results to public health by calling the Washington State Department of Health COVID hotline (1-800-525-0127) and follow CDC recommendations for isolation or quarantine.

Finding a COVID-19 vaccine provider

No matter where you are in Washington, the Vaccine Locator  provided by Washington State Department of Health makes it easy to find and schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine. A regularly updated list of COVID-19 vaccine providers in Kitsap County can be found here.

Homebound and need a COVID-19 vaccine? 
Fill out a secure online form to let us know if you or someone you know is homebound. Your answers will allow us to connect individuals to available County and/or State Mobile Vaccine Teams.

Kitsap Public Health District continues to provide vaccine clinics at Bremerton Saint Michael Medical Center. Register at: https://kphd.timetap.com/#/ 

Need transportation? If you need transportation assistance to a COVID-19 vaccine site, please call Kitsap Transit's ACCESS service at (360) 479-7272 or (800) 422-2877. To make an appointment for a vaccination, please contact your health-care provider or clinic.

Need help? Call the hotline at 1-833-VAX-HELP (833-829-4357), then press #. Language assistance is available. You can also text your zip code to 438-829 (GET VAX) or 822-862 (VACUNA) for vaccine locations near you.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at cdc.gov/coronavirus

Useful Links

• Online reporting of COVID-19 cases for businesses & organizations
• COVID-19 Vaccine Locator
• Kitsap Public Health vaccine clinic calendar
• Kitsap Public Health Coronavirus Information Page
• Resources for families and individuals

• Resources for businesses

• Kitsap County Eviction Prevention Assistance Program

• Kitsap Community Foundation's Kitsap Cares Page

• Kitsap County Services During the Coronavirus Response

• Kitsap County EOC Coronavirus Resource and Information Page

• Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Page with links to resources in 38 languages