Getting vaccinated in King County

As of January 18, 2021, the Washington State Department of Health has opened vaccine distribution through Phase 1b1.

Vaccination is available for the groups listed below regardless of insurance, citizenship, or immigration status. You will not be billed or charged for vaccination. The vaccine will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance, and the cost of vaccination will be covered for people who are uninsured.

Vaccination is currently open for people who are:

• Eligible for Phase 1a: all workers at risk of acquisition or transmission of COVID-19 in healthcare settings; long-term care facility staff and residents; and home health and care aides.
  
  
• Eligible for Phase 1b1:
• Age 65 years and older
• Age 50 and older if they live in a household where two or more generations live, (such as an elder and a grandchild), and meet these qualifications:
• Cannot live independently and receives support from a relative or caregiver (paid or unpaid) or someone who works outside the home
• Lives with and cares for a young child, like a grandparent with a grandchild.
• PreK-12 educators and school staff New as of March 2
• Child care workers, which includes: New as of March 2
• Licensed family home child care providers, and the family members living in their home.
• License-exempt family, friends, and neighbor providers that accept Working Connections Child Care subsidy. These in-home providers can serve up to 6 children.
• ECEAP, Washington’s state-funded preschool providers. This is similar to the national Head Start program.
• License-exempt school-age and youth development providers who have been providing care to school-age children since the pandemic began and schools were closed and moved to online or hybrid teaching.

Not eligible in this phase (unless school or child care staff):

• Someone younger than 50
• Someone 50 and older who cares for a partner or friend
• An older adult who is able to live independently and is taking care of their kin/children.

Learn more about Washington's vaccine distribution plans.

Confirm vaccination eligibility

Phase Finder is an online tool from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) that asks a series of questions to check if you are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine now. If you are not yet eligible, you can sign up to be notified when you become eligible for vaccine.

Phase Finder is available in multiple languages here.

Vaccination is available for eligible individuals regardless of insurance, citizenship, or immigration status. You will not be billed or charged for vaccination. The vaccine will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance, and the cost of vaccination will be covered for people who are uninsured.

Schedule an appointment

Vaccine supplies and appointments are currently limited. You may experience delays in scheduling vaccination appointments due to high demand. Getting vaccinated will become easier as providers receive more doses and high-volume vaccine sites open.

• Option 1: Call your doctor's office or health care provider to see if they have available vaccination appointments.
  
  
• Option 2: Washington State's Phase Finder online tool can confirm your eligibility and provide you with a list of possible vaccination locations. Phase Finder
  
  
• Option 3: If you need language interpretation or can't use the online Phase Finder tool, call the Washington state's COVID-19 Assistance Hotline: Dial 1-800-525-0127 or 1-888-856-5816, then press #. Available Monday 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Tuesday-Sunday and observed state holidays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. For language interpretation, state your preferred language when you are connected. Phone support is also available from the Public Health COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977, 8am-7pm.
  
  
• Option 4: Visit Washington State Department of Health's list of vaccination locations in Washington state, organized by county.
  
  
• Option 5: For K-12 school employees: The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has information for how K-12 school employees (teachers and staff) can schedule vaccine appointments here.
  
  
• Option 6: For Veterans: Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound is offering vaccines to veterans at its clinics in Silverlake, Seattle, American Lake and Mount Vernon. All ages are eligible and appointments are required (no walk-in vaccines). For more information, call 1-800-698-2411 and press 8 for COVID information or visit www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine and VA Coronavirus Vaccine FAQs.
  
  
• Option 7: Vaccination for elders in south King County:
  
  

While vaccine supplies are very limited, Public Health is ensuring equitable access for elders who live in areas of south King County with the most COVID-19 cases.

We are providing high-volume vaccination sites with two locations in Auburn and Kent to vaccinate people 65 years and older, adults who require home care, and their caregivers/home care givers. Additional groups will be able to schedule appointments at these sites as vaccine supply increases.

At this time, registration is open to residents of south King County living in areas with the highest number of COVID-19 cases who are:

• Age 65 and older New as of March 1 OR
• A caregiver or home care worker taking care of someone age 50 or older who cannot live independently. The caregiver or home care worker is eligible as a worker in a healthcare setting and does not need to be 50 or older. Note: Children and teens younger than 18 are not eligible for vaccine. OR
• Specific groups of people age 50 and older who live in multi-generational households (two or more generations) and are:
• Unable to live independently and receive care from a caregiver, relative, in-home caregiver or someone who works outside the home.
• Live with AND care for kin (examples include caring for a grandchild, niece or nephew. This does not include older adults who are able to live independently and are taking care of their children.)
  

Those who meet one or more of the criteria listed above can register for an appointment at: www.covidvaccine.kingcounty.gov. Note: this registration is currently in English only. This visual guide explains how to make, change, or cancel a high volume site appointment online.

Call Washington state's COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127 or 1-888-856-5816, then press # for help with registration by phone. Available Monday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday - Sunday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phone support is also available from the Public Health COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977, 8am-7pm. For language interpretation state your preferred language when you are connected.

Auburn Drive-Through COVID-19 Vaccination Site (Currently serving older adults and caregivers at highest risk):
GSA Complex, 2701 C St. SW Auburn, WA 98001
Access: By appointment only*. Drive-through only site. Car or vehicle required. ADA accessible. Follow the signs on arrival. ASL and language interpretation available on site. *Please do not call GSA to inquire about vaccination appointments. You will be directed to the resources listed above.

Kent COVID-19 Vaccination Site (Currently serving older adults and caregivers at highest risk):
ShoWare Center, 625 W James St, Kent, WA 98032
Access: By appointment only. Park, bike, walk or wheel, or arrive by transit and enter building. ADA and wheelchair accessible. ASL and language interpretation available on site.

You will need to bring:

• Identification with date of birth: state, tribe, or federal-issued ID. A billing or bank statement with your name and address can also be used. Employee ID can be used if you are Phase 1a eligible.
  
  
• Confirmation of eligibility:
• If you scheduled your appointment through Phase Finder, bring the Phase Finder eligibility confirmation page, printed or viewable on a mobile device.
• For those eligible under Phase 1a, a voucher letter from your employer can also be used instead of a Phase Finder confirmation. Voucher letters should include the employee’s name and a statement verifying that Phase 1a eligibility guidelines are met as specified by the Washington State Department of Health.
• If you registered through www.covidvaccine.kingcounty.gov, no additional confirmation is needed.
  
  
• Wear short sleeves or loose-fitting sleeves that are easy to roll up so that you can get vaccinated in your upper arm.

How to get there:

King County Metro offers many transportation options to vaccination appointments, including bus transit, Access paratransit, and Community Van shuttles. Learn more about transit options from King County Metro here.

Note: drive-through vaccine sites cannot take walk-up clients and require a car or vehicle, so transit will not be a good option for these locations. Check access details with the vaccine provider before your appointment.

Flyer: Public Health recommendations: after COVID-19 vaccination (PDF)

Schedule a second dose

If you are receiving a 2-dose vaccine, make an appointment for the second dose of the vaccine at your vaccination appointment after you receive your first dose. You should get your second dose 21 days (Pfizer-BioNTech) or 28 days (Moderna) after the first dose. The second dose will provide full protection from the virus.

You do not need a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine – one dose offers full protection.

Sign up for V-safe

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a tool, V-safe, to monitor vaccine safety. V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you get a COVID-19 vaccine. You can can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. CDC may follow up with you to get more information. V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose, if needed.

Continue COVID-19 precautions

The vaccines give a high level of protection against infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. So why do we still need to wear masks and distance from others?

Right now, most people are not vaccinated yet – we’re in very early stages of vaccine distribution with limited supply. We’re also learning how well the vaccine works in preventing people who are vaccinated from spreading COVID-19 to others and how well it works on coronavirus variants, which are known to be circulating in King County.

Even after vaccination, it’s important to protect others. Continue to wear masks, limit indoor activities outside of the home, avoid crowded indoor spaces, keep contact with others brief and distanced, improve ventilation indoors, and wash your hands frequently.

Once you’re fully vaccinated, if you have a known exposure to someone with COVID-19, you probably don’t need to quarantine if you are exposed. To be sure, check out the guidance about quarantine here.

We’re looking forward to the potential to ease restrictions on gatherings as more of our community is vaccinated and we know more about the vaccine’s ability to prevent spread.

Flyer: How older adults in King County can get the COVID-19 vaccine (PDF)

Who is eligible?

All older adults in Washington state over the age of 65 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. People 50 and older who live in multigenerational households are also eligible if they meet certain conditions. Due to limited supply of vaccine, not everyone will be able to access a vaccine right away. Access will improve as the supply increases and providers in King County receive more doses.

Where are vaccinations available now?

• Long-Term Care Facilities, residents of nursing homes, assisted living and some other long-term care facilities are receiving vaccine on-site through a national partnership with pharmacy chains.
• Health Care Systems, including doctors, hospitals, and community clinics, are the primary way that most of the older adults in King County will get vaccinated.
• Mobile Vaccination Teams, coordinated by Public Health and local Fire Departments are reaching highest risk older adults, including those residing in Adult Family Homes and affordable senior living facilities.
• High Volume Vaccination Sites, coordinated by Public Health, are reaching groups in south King County with higher rates of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, including older adults and individuals who cannot live independently, and their caregivers.
• Pharmacies: Just like getting a flu shot at your local pharmacy, many pharmacy chains – including grocery stores – have COVID-19 vaccine appointments available.

Coming soon

Community of Faith Based Clinics: Meal sites, senior centers, and faith-based organizations are examples where pop-up clinics are being planned, as soon as doses are available..

In-Home Vaccination will be an option for homebound older adults. Mobile vaccinations teams and authorized health care providers who provide in-home visits will provide these vaccinations.