Here's what I found from reddit:
If you're an American living in BC who is 16-years or older, you can get vaccinated at the
Central Washington State Fairgrounds in Yakima, WA. Leaving Canada, getting vaccinated in Yakima, and returning to Canada can all be done in approximately 10 - 12 hours.
Preparation:
- Visit this Washington State Department of Health website and choose your desired date. There are literally thousands of appointments available each week. Book an afternoon or evening appointment so you have enough time to perform your COVID-19 test beforehand (more in point 3). As a bonus, the vaccine offered is from Pfizer-BioNTech, which is statistically the most effective and safest COVID-19 vaccine available at this time (although I want to be clear that all authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective!). Also, print out your appointment confirmation.
- Visit this Government of Canada website and review the driving to Canada requirements checklist. Make sure you register for ArriveCAN, submit your quarantine plan to ArriveCAN, and print out your ArriveCAN confirmation number. You'll save yourself time at the border if you also register for the Switch Health portal (this is used for your day 1 and day 10 COVID-19 test results).
- Visit this Discovery Health MD website and book a rapid COVID-19 test at SeaTac airport for the morning of your vaccination appointment in Yakima (this should absolutely be your first priority on entering the US; if you miss your appointment, you will not be able to re-enter Canada without going to a federal quarantine facility for 14 days). The fastest, cheapest, and least invasive test accepted by Canada is the NAAT molecular test. Print out your appointment booking.
- Pack your NEXUS card or passports, vaccine appointment, ArriveCAN confirmation, NAAT molecular test booking, mask, easy-to-eat lunch and snack, and water bottles. On your appointment day, wear a short sleeve shirt.
Execution:
- Leave home early. Seriously, leave home early so you can avoid traffic and make it back home in time for dinner.
- At the US border, you don't need to dissimulate - just be direct and tell the border agent you're returning to the US to get vaccinated. As a citizen, you can enter the United States at any time for any reason - no quarantine required.
- Drive immediately to SeaTac and perform your NAAT molecular test. The testing employees will tell you results take 40 - 60 minutes, but that's a very conservative estimate. You can expect your test results in 10 - 15 minutes in actuality. Request a printout of your NAAT molecular test results and keep it with you.
- Start your drive to Yakima! A good resting point before reaching Yakima is in North Bend - there are plenty of convenience stores, gas stations, EV chargers, etc.
- At the Yakima vaccination site, you can drive up or walk up. I recommend walking up since you'll need to hang around for 15 - 30 minutes after your vaccination and it's more comfortable on foot. All you need to present is your appointment confirmation - no ID or other documentation is required. Make sure to get your vaccine certificate dated and stamped.
- Start your drive back to Canada! Again, a good resting point for lunch / snacks is in North Bend.
- At the Canadian border, present your NEXUS card (or passport), ArriveCAN confirmation, and NAAT molecular test results. Again, you don't need to dissimulate - simply explain you are a US citizen who went Yakima to get your COVID-19 vaccine and are now returning home, which is in Canada.
- You will be directed to a Red Cross tent where you need to perform a COVID-19 test. The Red Cross volunteers will walk you through the process in detail. You will also be given a COVID-19 test to take on day 10 and some instructions about complying with your 14 day quarantine.
- Go home and enjoy dinner. One shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine confers ~85% immunity by day 14, which lines up perfectly with the 14 day quarantine requirement upon returning to Canada.
And that's it! I already went through this process and am happy to answer any questions.
PS: Before anyone goes on about "jumping the queue" or "stealing" vaccines, federal COVID-19 vaccine supplies are paid for by your taxes and open to all US citizens at this time - there's nothing inappropriate about getting your vaccine in Yakima. Also, the Yakima site is throwing away hundreds of Pfizer-BioNTech doses each day because not enough people are showing so you're saving these doses from going to waste.
FAQ from people messaging me:
- Why not book an appointment in Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, etc.? As far as I know, those vaccination sites use state doses, which are technically for Washington residents only at this time.
- Why Yakima? It's a federal vaccination site, which means it's open to all US citizens regardless of residency. Also, the site is severely underutilized so it's possible to book an appointment for pretty much any day and time you want.
- Is my travel exempt, meaning I can avoid quarantining upon returning to Canada? No, this is nonessential travel and you must quarantine for 14 days upon returning to Canada.
- Why get a COVID-19 test at SeaTac instead of Bellingham airport? The Discovery Health MD site at SeaTac opens at 7 AM and guarantees results in 50 minutes, so you can be assured you'll be able to make it to Yakima and return to Canada the same day. The testing site at Bellingham airport opens at 12 PM, closes for one hour for lunch at 3 PM, and then closes for the night at 7 PM. Also, they only guarantee test results next day, not same day.
- How much will all this cost me? The vaccine in Yakima and the COVID tests at the border are free (technically paid by your taxes). The only costs you'll incur are for parking (~$10) and the NAAT molecular test ($196) at SeaTac.
