Dear Friends and Neighbors,

You have probably heard by now that all Washingtonians age 16 and up will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination beginning April 15. This is welcome news as cases are rising across King County – expanding vaccination eligibility is a great tool to help keep cases down.

While more of us will be eligible to sign up for vaccination appointments, I encourage you all to stay patient. Our capacity to provide vaccines is growing but please remember that the demand will continue to be greater than our supply. Below are resources you and your loved ones can use to find appointments as eligibility opens over the coming weeks. As a reminder, those who will be made eligible on April 15 will not be able to make an appointment until that date.

Vaccination Resources & Tips

You may have seen the flurry of news recently about changes to vaccine availability and eligibility, the current phase of Governor Inslee’s Roadmap to Recovery Plan, and more. With such rapid changes, I want to provide you with the latest resources you can use to navigate our recovery from COVID-19. While we are making progress, it is vital that we all keep doing the things we have been doing – wear a face covering when out in public, physically distance when you are in proximity to someone who lives outside of your household, maintain hygiene practices, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.

• Use the Department of Health’s Vaccine Locator to find open appointments in real time near you.
• Sign up for notifications about open appointments from the City of Seattle – this includes the Lumen Field Event Center as well as the West Seattle Community Vaccination Hub.
• Phone assistance is available for those who need language interpretation or those who struggle with the online tools. Call the King County COVID-19 Call Center: 206-477-3977, 8am – 7pm.
• Don’t forget to contact your regular healthcare provider to see about scheduling an appointment.

Please remember that it takes a couple of weeks once a person is completely vaccinated for the vaccine to reach full efficacy. That means it is vital we stay vigilant and continue to wear a mask, maintain proper social distancing, and stay home if you are feeling unwell. Without your efforts over the past year, and your dedication to keeping our communities healthy, we would not be in the positive position we are today.

I hope this is news you and your loved ones can celebrate. The past year has been challenging and I am grateful for our progress and for the upcoming expanded vaccine eligibility. Please do reach out if there is any assistance my office can provide for you.

Stay safe and healthy,

-Joe

Joe McDermott
King County Councilmember