Our Best Shot: Seattle's Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Update

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 02/02/2021 04:28 PM PST
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An older Seattle resident poses with her vaccination card after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine from Seattle Fire

Our Best Shot: Seattle's Weekly COVID-19 Vaccination Update

Welcome to our first City of Seattle vaccine newsletter! Going forward, we’ll send out this newsletter each week to give you an update on eligibility criteria, vaccination progress in Seattle and King County, and new City of Seattle vaccination efforts. You'll know when we know!

After being approved as a vaccine provider by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), the City launched our Seattle Fire Department Mobile Vaccination Teams (MVT) to vaccinate vulnerable residents throughout the city. The MVTs are meeting our most vulnerable communities where they are, and vaccinating those who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including BIPOC communities, immigrants and refugees, and older adults at the greatest risk of hospitalization and death.

Given that the City of Seattle only receives 1,000 Moderna doses per week, each dose needs have an outsized beneficial impact on the community. Since launching our vaccination program on January 14, we’ve vaccinated nearly 2,500 vulnerable Seattle residents and workers, and 75 percent of those we’ve vaccinated identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color communities.

As soon as vaccine supply increases, we’re ready and able to expand our equity-focused operations and vaccinate more eligible, vulnerable older adults.

Even as more residents get vaccinated, public health measures like social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands remain critical. Please continue to follow all public health guidance, and visit this website from Public Health – Seattle & King County for more information.

Seattle Fire Vaccinates the Most Vulnerable
Seattle Fire paramedic vaccinates a home health care worker at a pop-up vaccination clinic

Seattle Fire vaccinated over 400 1A eligible home health care workers at a pop-up clinic with SEIU 775.

Seattle resident gets vaccinated by a Seattle Fire paramedic at an Adult Family Home

Seattle Fire has vaccinated highly vulnerable residents and workers at 85 Adult Family Homes.

COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Remains Constrained

We appreciate your patience as the City of Seattle and our partner agencies across the county and state work to vaccinate our most vulnerable residents and workers. The reality is that there just isn’t enough supply to vaccinate everyone currently eligible. And frustratingly for so many, supply is actually flattening while eligibility and demand is increasing.

Many major providers across our region had their first dose allocations slashed over the last few weeks, despite the fact that we moved into Phase 1B, Tier 1 of the state’s vaccine timeline. King County has only received approximately 21,000 first doses weekly, and across the county we have more than 300,000 eligible individuals who are 65 and older.

Mayor Durkan continues to advocate for an increased vaccine allocation to Seattle, and, with a new administration at the federal level, we’re hopeful that vaccine supply will increase in the coming weeks.

Here’s How to Get Vaccinated in Seattle

When can you get vaccinated?

Vaccine is in limited supply and how many doses Seattle gets and who gets them is determined by Public Health – Seattle & King County, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and the federal government. DOH developed an eligibility timeline that aims to reduce hospitalizations and death and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Currently, the following groups can get vaccinated under the DOH timeline:

  • Health care workers
  • High-risk first responders
  • Residents of long-term care facilities
  • All people over 65 years-old
  • All people over 50 years-old and living in a multigenerational household. A multigenerational household refers to people who cannot live independently and live with a caregiver or someone who works outside the home, OR someone who can live independently and cares for kin, like a grandchild. This group does not include parents living with their child.

Have questions? Use the state’s Phase Finder tool to determine your vaccine eligibility. The tool is available in English and Spanish.

Where can you get vaccinated if you're eligible?

If you use Phase Finder and find out that you are eligible, you will receive a confirmation message from the site. Be sure to take a screenshot or print out the confirmation message. As a next step, we recommend that you contact your primary care provider – if you have one – to determine whether they have a supply of vaccine and if they’re taking appointments.

If you’re unable to get a vaccine through your primary care provider, the Washington State Department of Health compiled this list of vaccine providers. Please review to find a provider nearest you. Know that organizations listed on this page may or may not have vaccine. Inventory varies daily for these providers, so please check back with them or register for any waitlists they may have for when vaccine supply increases.

At your vaccine appointment, be prepared to share your Phase Finder confirmation along with an identification card to the vaccine provider as proof of eligibility. And make sure you work closely with your provider to schedule your second dose.