This update was shared by District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold in her newsletter to constituents:

I’ve heard from many District 1 residents over the past week concerned, frustrated, and confused about the difficulties of receiving a COVID vaccination.  As many of you have discovered, vaccine providers are generally not offering appointments for the vaccine, because they do not have sufficient numbers of vaccines to distribute.  The problem we are all experiencing is systemic – the federal government is neither producing nor able to purchase enough vaccine for everyone who is now eligible to receive it.   

Right now, if you’re eligible to receive the vaccine, the best thing to do is add yourself to vaccine distribution waitlists (starting with your healthcare provider, if you have one), monitor the news for updated information about vaccine distribution, and keep up COVID precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing.  Over the next weeks and months, vaccine supply will improve and more people will receive the vaccine.   

Not enough vaccine to meet demand:  Consider these numbers as an illustration of the problem:  An estimated 470,000 King County residents are currently eligible to receive vaccination, but fewer than 200,000 first doses have been received throughout the County.  Of the doses that King County has received, 99% have been administered according to Public Health data.  

Washington state receives regular allocations of vaccine from the federal government.  Of those, just over 25% are allocated to vaccine providers in King County.  King County reports on its progress in administering those vaccines here.  When vaccine providers learn they have a certain number of vaccine doses coming, they open up appointments for those doses, or contact eligible people on their waitlist.  Because there is much more demand than supply, those appointments are quickly snapped up, and vaccine providers tend to shut down scheduling again until they learn more doses are coming.  The federal government has announced plans to increase vaccine distribution to the states, meaning Washington may get increased shipments soon.  But it will likely be some weeks before Washington state receives enough vaccine doses for everyone who is currently eligible.  

West Seattle vaccination sites:  Last week I wrote to you that the City of Seattle is planning for a mass vaccination site in West Seattle.  The City’s Finance & Administrative Services department reports that they are procuring items needed to convert testing sites into mass vaccination sites.  Tents, lighting and chairs have already been delivered to West Seattle in anticipation of a future vaccination site.  Once the City receives sufficient vaccine supply, they will be able to move quickly and open up the West Seattle site within two days. 

There are currently two vaccination sites accessible to those of us living on the West Seattle peninsula without requiring a bridge crossing, both operated by SeaMar Community Health Centers:  one in White Center, 9650 15th Avenue SW, #100 98106; and the other in South Park, 8720 14th Avenue South 98108.  Both are listed at the state Department of Health’s list of vaccination sites.  I am hearing from many residents concerned about the unique mobility problems we face with the loss of the West Seattle Bridge, and am continuing to advocate for additional vaccine providers in West Seattle.

I appreciate the advocacy and leadership of Senior Center of West Seattle, whose Executive Director and board members have been actively reaching out to me and other elected officials to share the barriers that seniors are facing to accessing vaccinations, including: lack of a computer or internet access, difficulty reading web pages due to low vision, inability to make or receive texts, lack of an email address, and lack of nearby family or friends to help navigate these concerns.  My office has connected the Senior Center with leaders at Public Health – Seattle & King County and the Mayor’s Office who are planning vaccination efforts to address these and other barriers. 
 

City of Seattle vaccination plans:  On Tuesday, February 9th at 9:30am, my Public Safety & Human Services committee will host a presentation on the City’s vaccination plans, including plans for a mass vaccination site in West Seattle.  Presenters will include Director Hayes of Public Health – Seattle & King County, Chief Scoggins of Seattle Fire Department, and representatives from the Mayor’s Office.  Sign up to receive the agenda, including a link to the presentation.  You can tune in on Seattle Channel at 9:30am on Tuesday. 

Language support:  Getting information about the state’s vaccination rollout in languages other than English has been difficult.  Public Health –Seattle & King County is now providing in-language vaccine information on its website:
 

አማርኛ — Amharic한국어 — KoreanEspañol — Spanish

العربية — ArabicKajin M̧ajeļ — Marshalleseትግርኛ — Tigrinya

简体中文— Chinese, SimplifiedAfaan Oromoo — Oromolea fakatonga — Tongan

繁體中文 — Chinese, TraditionalРусский — RussianУкраїнська — Ukrainian

Français — FrenchGagana Sāmoa — SamoanTiếng Việt — Vietnamese

ភាសាខ្មែរ — Khmeraf Soomaali — Somali 

Who can get the vaccine?  The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) determines who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Right now the following groups can get vaccinated:

• 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 who live in a multigenerational household

Where can I get a vaccine?  If you're currently eligible, the FindYourPhaseWA.org will help you find out where you can get vaccinated in Seattle. 

You can also get help over the phone from the Washington State COVID-19 Assistance Hotline: Dial 1 (800) 525-0127, then press #. The hotline is available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and observed state holidays. Phone interpretation is available.

Looking for more information about vaccine distribution? Try some of these resources.

• Public Health – Seattle & King County’s vaccination website is an excellent resource, with lists of vaccine providers, and information about the County’s Kent and Auburn COVID-19 Vaccination Sites, which are currently serving adults 75 years and older from the hardest-hit areas of south King County. 
• Decisions about vaccination plans are made by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).  Read the vaccination rollout plan here, and provide feedback here. 
• The City of Seattle just launched a vaccine website and weekly vaccination newsletter: learn more and sign up here. 
• King County hosts a COVID vaccine data dashboard, showing allocations of doses locally, as well as doses administered.
• Covid vaccines must be provided free of charge. 
• Here’s a handy list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the COVID vaccine. 
• Learn more about the safety of COVID vaccines in the US. 

 
Preferential Access to Vaccine
Data shared by Public Health of Seattle & King County show that inequitable distribution of vaccine is occurring systemically in our community.  Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders represent 2.7% of COVID-19 cases, but only .5% of vaccinations.  Black/African-Americans make up 12% of King County’s COVID-19 cases, but only 3.5% of vaccinations.