King County will reopen vaccine clinics to provide booster shots to eligible residents

Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) approval of booster doses of Pfizer-BioNtech vaccinations for select populations, King County and the City of Seattle announced Monday, Sept. 27, that they are reopening several vaccine clinics.

The county says it is ramping-up vaccination services to “ensure free booster doses are available to everyone eligible, as well as continuing to serve those who are not yet fully vaccinated.”

Reopened clinics will be located at various local drug and grocery stores, as well as walk-in clinics.

• • King County’s vaccination clinics began providing booster doses to those eligible on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.
  • To help meet anticipated demand, King County, in conjunction with its vaccination partners, have already reopened or have expanded capacity at seventeen vaccination sites across King County.
  • In addition, the City of Seattle will be opening three additional vaccination sites beginning in October to provide booster doses, as well as prime series vaccinations to those who are not yet fully vaccinated.

More info here: Public Health’s vaccination webpage.

Here’s more from the county:

The CDC now recommends booster doses of Pfizer vaccine for people who have completed two doses of Pfizer at least six months ago and are:

• • • 65 years or older
    • Residents in long-term care facilities
    • 50-64 years old who are at high-risk because of underlying medical conditions

The following people may also receive a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months after receiving two doses of Pfizer vaccine based on their individual benefits and risks:

• • • 18-49 years old who are at high-risk because of underlying medical conditions
    • 18-64 years old in occupational or institutional settings that put them at high risk for COVID-19 (healthcare, schools, child care, homeless shelter, correctional facility)

King County’s comprehensive network of reopened and expanded partnership vaccination locations include sites in Auburn, Kent (two locations), Federal Way, Renton (three locations), Capitol Hill, Montlake, Harborview, Downtown Seattle, Northwest Hospital, Shoreline, Redmond, Bellevue, Eastgate, and Snoqualmie. These are in addition to community health centers, primary care clinics, and pharmacies across the county that are also providing vaccinations, including booster doses. All COVID-19 vaccinations are free of charge and all King County vaccination partnership sites are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible and open to the public.

To make an appointment and to check days and hours of operation, visit Public Health’s vaccination webpage.

“Our King County vaccination sites are ready with free, safe, effective vaccines for all eligible residents,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “From first and second doses, to booster shots for those who qualify, our team from Public Health and community partners across King County are here to help keep you and your family safe from this dangerous virus.”

Working with health care partners, the City of Seattle will be opening three additional vaccination sites beginning in October that will host weekly clinics to increase access to vaccinations. Sites are expected to serve West Seattle, South Seattle, and Central Seattle with partners, locations, and hours announced in early October. The City of Seattle will also relaunch mobile teams to focus on delivering boosters to older adults. To date, the City of Seattle administered nearly 260,000 vaccinations.

“Seattle has led the way by listening to our public health officials and speaking as one government – it’s why we have the lowest cases, hospitalizations and deaths of every major city, and one of the highest vaccination rates. Vaccines save lives, so we’re ready to ramp up our efforts again to equitably vaccinate the most vulnerable, older adults, and our kids,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan. “In our next efforts to keep our community safe, we will be launching new sites to provide boosters to eligible individuals while preparing to vaccinate children ages 5-11 once approved.”

The City and County currently have sufficient vaccine doses and vaccination supplies to serve everyone who is eligible.

Public Health is also working to ensure those eligible for booster doses who cannot access traditional vaccination clinics are able to receive them. Many long-term care facilities are partnering with pharmacies to provide booster doses to eligible residents. Public Health will work closely with facilities that may not have a pharmacy partner to connect them with vaccination services. Mobile vaccination teams will provide booster doses to people in-need who are homebound.

“The COVID-19 vaccine continues to be the best way to reduce your risk for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death – including from the Delta variant,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Based on the latest federal guidance, boosters are now recommended for certain groups of people who received the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago, to provide extra protection for those at higher-risk of serious illness from COVID-19 or who are in high-risk settings. In coming weeks, we expect an evaluation of the need for a booster in those who received other vaccines.”

At this time, only the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by CDC for booster shots, and the current recommendation only applies to people who received the Pfizer vaccine as their primary vaccine series. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are anticipated to be approved for booster doses, after the manufacturers submit data to FDA for review.