information from the City of Seattle

 Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced two new efforts to increase vaccinations among older adults in King County. Effective immediately, all people 60 years-old and older are able to walk-in to the Community Vaccination Hubs in Rainier Beach and West Seattle and get vaccinated without an appointment. The City also launched the “Good Neighbor” program to increase vaccinations among older adults throughout King County, particularly among those with digital and/or mobility barriers. In addition, the Mayor announced this week’s vaccination plan across all four City-affiliated sites and the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) Mobile Vaccination Teams (MVT). The City and partners will administer approximately 30,000 vaccinations this week. The City will continue to focus on King County residents and workers in ZIP codes disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

“Across Seattle and King County, we’ve done excellent work to ensure our older community members get vaccinated. However, we must make another focused effort to ensure our most vulnerable community members get the vaccine, particularly as eligibility expands and new variants spread through our region. I encourage all Seattleites to be a good neighbor and help older adults in your life get vaccinated,” said Mayor Durkan. “We all have a role to play in defeating this pandemic. I know everyone is fatigued, and we all want the pandemic to be over. But hope is on the horizon, and now is not the time to let up on our efforts.”

“We are working to remove as many barriers as possible to accessing vaccine for older adults who are more likely to have severe outcomes from COVID-19,” said Patty Hayes, Director of Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Older adults may have more challenges navigating online scheduling systems and transportation and it’s important that trusted neighbors, family and friends can help them navigate those processes. We at Public Health are inspired by the creative energy our community has devoted to this challenge, and how novel approaches such as the City of Seattle’s Good Neighbor program are helping to close gaps in vaccine access.”

Effective immediately, any person who live or works in King County and is at least 60 years-old can walk-in and get vaccinated at the SFD Community Vaccination Hubs in Rainier Beach and West Seattle.

The City also launched the “Good Neighbor” program which builds on Seattle and King County’s successful efforts to vaccinate older adults. While many older adults in Seattle have been vaccinated, Central Seattle currently has the lowest vaccination rate among people 65 years-old and older in all of King County. In addition, many older adults face technology and/or mobility barriers that make accessing a vaccination appointment difficult. As more contagious COVID-19 variants spread through the region, it’s all the more critical that every single older adult receives a vaccine.

Good Neighbor is an innovative walk-in vaccination program that allows older adults and the person accompanying them to get a vaccination at the Rainier Beach (Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at theAtlantic City Boat Ramp at 8702 Seward Park Ave S, 98118) or West Seattle (Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 2801 SW Thistle St, 98126) vaccination sites without an appointment. Here are the parameters for the Seattle program:

1. One patient must be at least 60 years-old, the other must be at least 16 years-old.
2. Neither patient has received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
3. Neither patient has an appointment.
4. Only one additional person gets vaccinated with the 60 year-old patient.

The Good Neighbor program is available immediately and currently only applies to the Rainier Beach and West Seattle hubs. Each day, SFD will vaccinate as many qualifying walk-ins as possible, supply permitting. However, a same-day vaccination for all qualifying walk-ins is not guaranteed. If no more vaccine is available, SFD will sign the patients up for the next available vaccination appointment.

“I have a call to action for the younger generation living in our City: Please join in the Seattle Fire Department’s mission of saving lives and become a community first responder for someone close to you. Whether it’s your parent, grandparent, friend, relative or neighbor, each of us know someone in our circle who is 60+ and still needs the vaccine. Bring them to our sites, and you too will get vaccinated. You could help save someone’s life,” said Fire Chief Harold Scoggins.

April 19 – April 24 Plan for City’s Fixed Vaccination Sites

This week, the Community Vaccination Site at the Lumen Field Event Center will administer more than 14,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine across Wednesday, April 21, and Saturday, April 24. The Community Vaccination Hubs in Rainier Beach and West Seattle, operated by the Seattle Fire Department, will administer the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines this week. The SFD community hubs operate six days per week and have the ability to administer up to 1,500 vaccinations per day, per site. The Community Vaccination Hub at North Seattle College – operated by Seattle Visiting Nurse Association – will administer 1,200 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week. The North Seattle site currently operates Wednesdays through Fridays each week, and is primarily a drive-through site.

April 19 – April 24 Plan for SFD MVTs

This week, the SFD MVTs will administer approximately 1,880 vaccinations, including the second doses of the Moderna vaccine to older adults living in affordable housing buildings throughout Seattle. In addition, the SFD MVTs are administering the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to formerly homeless adults living in permanent supportive housing, and the MVTs are hosting two pop-up vaccination clinics focused on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. One pop-up vaccination clinic is a partnership with St. Andrew Kim Church and the second is a partnership with Friends of Little Saigon.

Since launching its vaccination effort on January 14, the City of Seattle has administered over 113,029 vaccinations to eligible adults (over 71,000 individuals). These vaccinations have occurred at 88 Adult Family Homes, 90 affordable housing buildings with seniors and people with disabilities, 19 pop-ups, 18 permanent supportive housing buildings, and the four City-affiliated fixed vaccination sites. Roughly 45 percent of those vaccinated by the City identify as BIPOC communities.

For more information, including the notification list, visit the City’s vaccination website at www.seattle.gov/vaccine. The site contains vaccination information in seven languages, and in-language assistance is also available over the phone.

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.