is providing the event center rent-free to the city and those coming to get vaccinated can park for free in the Lumen Field garage. Hundreds of people will man the site through four shifts a day.įirst & Goal Inc. There are five lines for vaccinations with dozens of stations spread throughout the event center to keep operations orderly. The other two sites are in Rainier Beach and West Seattle. Those who are eligible can sign up for a notification list and will receive an email when appointments become available at any of the three City of Seattle vaccination sites, including the Lumen Field Event Center. Initially, about 5,000 doses will be given there a week, but as many as 150,000 people each week – or 22,000 per day – could be vaccinated at full capacity, if vaccine is available. Lumen Field will serve priority areas such Judkins Park, the Chinatown-International District and Mount Baker.Īfter those groups are served, eligible residents in King County can get vaccinated there. Initially, at least, the clinics will be open on Wednesdays and Saturdays until supply meets demand. Those who sign up must still meet the current criteria, and they must be able to get to Lumen Field in a half hour. So what about leftover doses? Rassilyer-Bomers says they are trying to avoid have any, but there is a waiting list just in case. Of course, many want to get the vaccines. “Yeah, I kind of put it off for a little bit,” said Simmons. Still, even some here had to resist their own hesitation, like Gina Simmons, whose job is scheduling vaccines for others. “We’ve got the capacity to do 20,000 with four shifts running.” “Absolutely,” said Renee Rassilyer-Bomers, the clinic’s chief operations officer. Swedish Health Services is running the vaccination clinic, doling out just 2,200 vaccines on this inaugural day. “In Redmond, we have one in partnership with Microsoft in Renton, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente.” “In Auburn, Kent, we’ve set up mass vaccine sites for thousands of people,” said Dow Constantine, King County Executive. I mean, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want this to be behind us.” “And I think it’s really important for the people to see that hope is on the way,” she said. The new clinic, she says, is a symbol of the progress the city has made in the fight against the deadly virus. “I think no one anticipated how long this would last,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “I believe in public health, and I think it’s the responsibility of people when it’s available.”Ī year ago, the events center was actually the scene of an Army field hospital. The city expects the heightened level of supply will continue for weeks to come, and officials hope the improved outlook will go a long way toward helping Seattle reach its ultimate goal of 70 percent population immunity.“I’ve had vaccines all my life,” said Charlie Best from Seattle. Understanding the outlook of supply will likely remain limited for March, the City is prepared to significantly ramp up in April and May into the summer. Learn more on Seattle's vaccine information hub.Īccording to the city, this week's vaccine allocation includes more than 38,000 first doses and nearly 14,000 second doses for its four city-run clinics. With existing vaccine supply, the Lumen Field Event Center will initially operate two to three days a week, and will vaccinate approximately 5,000 people per week.Search for immediate openings this week at Lumen Field, Rainier Beach, West Seattle, or North Seattle.For telephone-to-text relay service, dial: 7-1-1 or 1-800-833. For vaccine locations near you, text your zip code to 438-829 (GET VAX). If you have a disability and need accommodations to get the COVID-19 vaccine, please contact the call center or email. Sign up for Seattle's vaccine appointment notification list. Please say your preferred language when connected.After constant advocacy, I’m thrilled that Seattle is starting to receive an allocation to actually vaccinate our communities at scale." "We know that Seattle has the highest level of vaccine enthusiasm in the country, and if given the opportunity, we can vaccinate our residents and workers quickly, equitably, and on a massive scale. "For weeks, I’ve been asking the White House and federal government for supplies that match the immense need and demand in our communities," Durkan said.
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