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King County is launching two community COVID-19 vaccination sites on Monday, February 1 at Accesso ShoWare Center in Kent and the General Service Administration (GSA) complex in Auburn. These sites in southern King County will reach those most at risk for COVID-19 and face barriers to accessing the vaccine through traditional health systems.
Public Health has received enough doses of the vaccine from the state to begin operating the two sites at a rate of 500 doses per day, six days per week. These sites will enable King County to be able to rapidly scale up vaccination efforts and serve the wider community when more vaccines become available.
Reaching out to vulnerable members of our community
People aged 75 and over have experienced much higher rates of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than any other group and face more challenges getting vaccinated, such as transportation barriers and a more limited internet access. In King County, 66% of deaths from COVID-19 have been among those 75 and older, compared to people aged 65 to 74, who account for 19% of total deaths.
Although the vaccine supply remains very limited, the Kent and Auburn sites will focus on vaccinating higher-risk southern King County residents aged 75 and over, people unable to live in a sustainable manner. autonomous and their caregivers. Availability of appointments will expand to people aged 65 to 74 as the supply of vaccines increases. Seniors in southern King County are at particularly high risk, as rates of COVID-19 in many areas of southern King County have been nearly twice the county average.
“It’s quite convenient, coordinating the county government with partners across the region to set up community vaccination sites,” said executive Constantine. “I share the frustration of not having enough vaccine from the manufacturers, but we are committed to building the distribution infrastructure to quickly and fairly get vaccines to eligible people as soon as these doses are available, and to increase the supply. capacity before the increase in supply.
“With a limited supply of vaccines, we need to get the most out of every dose that arrives in King County,” said Patty Hayes, director of public health – Seattle and King County. “The new high-volume vaccination sites will help us deliver life-saving vaccines to residents of King County at high risk. We are taking a fair approach by starting with the part of our county that has been hit hardest by COVID-19. I am grateful to the Constantine Executive and King County Council for County Investment and our community partners for making this effort possible.
Registration information
The Kent and Auburn sites are by appointment only and will be open Monday to Saturday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm:
Beginning Saturday, Jan. 30 at 8 a.m., residents can register for an appointment on the public health vaccine website, Getting Vaccinated in King County.
Currently, vaccine supplies and appointments are limited. Residents may experience delays, or it may take a long time for appointments to become available due to anticipated high demand. It will become easier as the supply of vaccines increases.
To help ensure access for those most at risk, registration is currently open to residents of South King County who are:
- 75 years and over OR
- A caregiver or home care attendant who cares for a person aged 50 or over who cannot live independently. The caregiver or home worker does not need to be 50 years of age or older OR
- Specific groups of people aged 50 and over. Those who are:
- Unable to live independently and receive care from a caregiver, parent, home caregiver, or someone who works outside the home.
- Live with AND take care of loved ones (For example, looking after a grandchild, a niece or a nephew. This does not include parents living with their child.).
Telephone registration assistance: Call the Washington State COVID-19 support hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press # for assistance with telephone registration. For linguistic interpretation indicate your preferred language when you are logged in.
Location Information
- Kent Access ShoWare Center 625 W. James St. Park, walk or arrive by public transit and enter the building. Accessible to wheelchairs.
- Auburn General Services Administrative Complex 2701 C St SW. Driving site
More information is available on the Public Health Immunization website.
Immunization efforts to date
The number of people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine continues to increase. In King County, as of January 28, 174,000 people had received at least one dose. King County and its medical system partners have made great strides in immunizing healthcare workers, staff and residents of long-term care facilities, including 100% of residents of County Nursing Homes. King.
Public Health is also coordinating mobile vaccination teams with local fire departments to reach most-at-risk adults who cannot reach vaccination sites, including staff and residents of adult family homes and children. vulnerable seniors living in low-income seniors housing and permanent supportive housing.
Current supplies are not sufficient to meet the needs. Doses arriving in Washington are insufficient to reach eligible adults. King County has about 300,000 people newly eligible for the Phase 1B1 vaccine, which includes people over 65 years of age. But in the week starting Jan. 25, King County received just 22,000 first doses. This is enough for 1 in 12 eligible people.
As the supply continues to be uncertain, King County is working closely with businesses and community partnerships to be prepared to set up multiple vaccine access points in King County.
Relevant links
Quotes
This is quite convenient, coordinating the county government with partners in the region to set up community vaccination sites. I share the frustration of not having enough vaccines from manufacturers, but we are committed to putting in place the distribution infrastructure to get vaccines quickly and fairly to eligible people as soon as those doses are available, and to scale up capacity before the increase in supply.
As a family caregiver for my elderly and fragile mother, I know that we are one of the many members of BIPOC and the refugee and immigrant communities caring for our elders at home and bearing a disproportionate toll of the impact of COVID as we forgo outside aid and livelihoods to ensure the safety of our loved ones. Thanks to King County and Public Health-Seattle & King County for prioritizing access for residents of South King County and for expanding state guidance to include caregivers of the elderly in the Home Care.
Neighborhood House looks forward to connecting our 2,500 low-income seniors, mostly immigrants and refugees, as well as people with disabilities living at home to access the vaccine. We have helped them allay vaccine concerns and will help organize transportation to vaccine appointments. Until the vaccine is readily available, the least accessible communities should be prioritized. We are grateful to community providers, volunteers and King County for working so hard to keep the most vulnerable members of our community safe.
Seniors have expressed frustration, confusion and anxiety about how and where to get the vaccine. it’s closer to home.
I would like to thank the county for accepting Kent for their offer to use the Accesso ShoWare Center to provide vaccines to our community. The sooner we can stock up and administer the vaccine, the sooner we can put COVID-19 in our rearview mirror and move towards recovery. It has really been a team effort between the County, the Town of Kent, public health officials and providers. I am delighted that Kent and the County of South King are helping to restore a healthy and vibrant community.
We are grateful to King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County, and all of our partners for once again mobilizing much needed resources in southern King County where the need is greatest. Auburn is a resilient and caring community; we are ready and will continue to do our part to speed up immunizations and improve health in King County.
We must do everything we can to remove the barriers that prevent members of the South King County community from getting vaccinated once they are eligible. Delays in federal distribution have slowed the process, but by establishing these high-volume sites, King County is ready to act quickly once these vaccines become available.
As our region grapples with COVID-19 infections, South King County has been particularly affected. By increasing access to vaccines in the South End, we will be able to protect some of our most vulnerable residents and help fight this virus.
The General Service Administration is proud to continue its partnership with our regional and local government agencies to immunize members of our communities. This combined effort is essential to contain the virus, save lives, and is an example of federal, state and local governments working together for the benefit of its citizens.
With a limited vaccine supply, we need to get the most out of every dose that arrives in King County. The new high-volume vaccination sites will help us deliver life-saving vaccines to residents of King County at high risk. We are taking a fair approach by starting with the part of our county that has been hit hardest by COVID-19. I am grateful to the Constantine executive for the county investment and to our community partners for making this effort possible.
For more information, contact:
Public health information officer
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