History
King County is launching two COVID-19 community vaccination sites on Monday, February 1 at the ShoWare Center in Kent and the General Services Administration Complex (GSA) in Auburn. These locations in southern King County will reach those most at risk for COVID-19 and will face barriers to accessing the vaccine through traditional health systems.
Public health received enough vaccine doses from the state to start operating the two sites at 500 doses a day, six days a week. These locations will allow King County to be able to rapidly increase vaccination efforts and serve the wider community when more vaccine is available.
Reaching our vulnerable members of the community
People aged 75 and over have faced much higher rates of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than any other group and face more challenges in getting vaccinated, such as transport barriers and more limited access to the internet. In King County, 66% of deaths from COVID-19 occurred among people aged 75 and over, compared with those aged 65 to 74, who account for 19% of total deaths.
Although vaccine supply remains very limited, Kent and Auburn sites will focus on vaccinating King County County’s 75-year-olds and older at-risk residents, individuals who cannot live independently and their caregivers. Scheduling availability will expand to individuals aged 65 to 74 as the vaccine supply increases. Older adults in southern King County are at a particularly high risk, as COVID-19 rates in many parts of southern King County have been almost double compared to the county average.
“This is all in practice, coordinating the county government with partners across the region to survey the community’s vaccination sites,” said executive Constantine. “I share the frustration of not having enough vaccine from manufacturers, but we are determined to build the distribution infrastructure to deliver vaccines quickly and fairly to qualified people as soon as these doses are available and to expand capacity before increasing supply.”
“With a limited supply of vaccine, we need to make the best use of each dose that reaches King County,” said Patty Hayes, Director of Public Health – Seattle and King County. “The new high-volume vaccine locations will help us bring life-saving vaccines to the highest-risk King County residents. We are taking a fair approach starting from the part of our county that has been hit hardest by COVID-19. I am indebted to Executive Constantine and the King County Council for the county’s investment and our community partners for making this effort possible. “
Registration information
Kent and Auburn locations are by appointment only and will be open Monday to Saturday, from 8:30 pm to 5:30 pm:
From Saturday, January 30 at 8 am, residents can sign up for a consultation at the Public Health vaccine website, Getting Vaccinated in King County.
Currently, both vaccine supply and consultations are limited. Residents may experience delays or it may take some time for consultations to be available due to expected high demand. This will become easier as the vaccine supply increases.
To help ensure access for those at greatest risk, registration is currently open to South King County residents who:
- 75 years or older OR
- A family caregiver or home assistant who cares for someone aged 50 or over who cannot live independently. The caregiver or home care worker does not need to be 50 years or older OR
- Specific groups of people aged 50 or over. Those who are:
- Unable to live independently and receiving care from a caregiver, family member, home caregiver or someone who works outside the home.
- Living and caring for relatives (Examples include looking after a grandchild, niece or nephew. This does not include parents who live with their children.)
Telephone assistance registration: Call the Washington State COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127 and press # for assistance with telephone registration. For language interpretation indicate your preferred language when connected.
Location information
- Kent access ShoWare Center 625 W. James St. Park, walk or arrive in transit and enter the building. Wheelchair accessible.
- Auburn General Services Administration Complex 2701 C St SW. Drive-through site
More information is available on the Public Health vaccination website.
Vaccination efforts to date
The number of people who received at least one dose of the vaccine continues to increase. In King County, by January 28, 174,000 people had received at least one dose. King County, along with medical system partners, has made great progress in vaccinating health care workers, staff and residents of long-term care facilities, including 100% of King County nursing home residents.
Public Health is also coordinating mobile vaccination teams with local firefighters to reach high-risk adults who are unable to reach vaccination sites, including staff and residents of vulnerable adult and elderly families living in low-income housing. income for the elderly and permanent support housing.
Current supplies are not sufficient to meet the need. The doses arriving in Washington are insufficient to reach eligible adults. King County has approximately 300,000 people newly eligible for the Phase 1B1 vaccine, which includes people over 65 years of age. But in the week that started on January 25, King County received only 22,000 first doses. This is sufficient for 1 in 12 eligible.
Although supply remains uncertain, King County is working closely with businesses and community partnerships to prepare to create multiple vaccine access points in King County.
Relevant links
quotes
This is all practical, coordinating the county government with partners across the region to raise community vaccination sites. I share the frustration of not having enough vaccine from manufacturers, but we are determined to build the distribution infrastructure to deliver vaccines quickly and fairly to qualified people as soon as these doses are available and to expand capacity before the supply increases.
As a family caregiver for my frail and elderly mother, I know that we are one of many in BIPOC and in the refugee and immigrant communities who care for the elderly at home and we have suffered a disproportionate impact from the impact of COVID by renouncing foreign aid and livelihoods to keep our loved ones safe. Thanks to King County and Public Health-Seattle & King County for prioritizing access for South King County residents and for expanding the state’s guidance to include elderly family caregivers in home care.
The Neighborhood House is eager to connect our 2,500 low-income seniors, mostly immigrants and refugees and people with disabilities who live at home, to access the vaccine. We have helped to dispel fear of the vaccine and help provide transportation for vaccination appointments. Until the vaccine is readily available, communities with less access need to be prioritized. We are grateful to community providers, volunteers and King County for working so hard to keep the most vulnerable members of the community safe.
The elderly expressed frustration, confusion and anxiety about how and where to get a vaccine ”. With the opening of vaccination sites in Auburn and Kent, older people in southern King County will now have greater access to vaccination appointments, as well as a location that is closer to home.
I want to thank the county for accepting Kent’s offer to use the ShoWare Center access to provide vaccines to our community. The sooner we can get supplies and administer the vaccine, the sooner we can put COVID-19 in our rearview mirror and move towards recovery. This was really a team effort between the county, the city of Kent, employees and public health providers. I am thrilled to have Kent and South King County helping to lead the way back to a healthy and vibrant community.
We thank King County, Public Health – Seattle and King County and all of our partners for once again pulling the much needed resources to the south of 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 vaccinations and improve health in King County.
We need to do everything we can to remove the barriers that prevent members of the South King County community from receiving a vaccine as soon as they become eligible. Delays in federal distribution have slowed the process, but by establishing these high-volume sites, King County is prepared to act quickly once these vaccines are available.
As our region has struggled with COVID-19 infections, South King County has been particularly affected. By increasing access to vaccines in the extreme south, we will be able to protect some of our most vulnerable residents and help fight this virus.
The General Services Administration is proud to continue its partnership with our regional and local government agencies to vaccinate members of our communities. This combined effort is vital to containing the virus, saving lives and is an example of how the federal, state and local governments work together for the benefit of their citizens.
With a limited supply of vaccine, we need to make the best use of each dose that reaches King County. The new high-volume vaccine locations will help us bring life-saving vaccines to the highest-risk King County residents. We are taking a fair approach starting from the part of our county that has been hit hardest by COVID-19. I am grateful to Executive Constantine for the County’s investment and to our community partners for making this effort possible.
For more information please contact us:
Public Health Information Officer