Getting vaccinated in King County

As of March 31, 2021, the Washington State Department of Health has opened vaccine distribution through Phase 1b4.

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.

Newly eligible (as of 3/31/21):

• Anyone between the ages of 60 and 64
  
  
• Eligible for Phase 1b3: People 16 years and older with 2 or more co-morbidities or underlying health conditions per the CDC's list of the conditions.
  
  
• Eligible for Phase 1b4:
• People (residents, staff, volunteers) in certain congregate living settings at higher risk:
• Group homes for individuals with disabilities, including serious mental illness, development and intellectual disabilities, and physical disabilities as well as residential substance use disorder facilities not already covered in Phase 1
• Prisons, jails, detention centers, and similar facilities
• Places that serve people experiencing homelessness (e.g. temporary housing, shelters)
• Domestic violence shelters
• High-medium risk critical workers in congregate settings in the following industries:
• Restaurants and food services
• Manufacturing
• Construction

Note: Congregate setting refers to work in an enclosed space around other people where physical distance cannot occur. Workers in these settings who are able to socially distance, work remotely or work off-site not in a congregate setting are not included.

Vaccination is also 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
• Child care workers, which includes:
• 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.
  
  
• Eligible for Phase 1b2:
• High-risk critical workers in certain congregate settings in the following industries:
• Agriculture
• Fishing vessel crews
• Food processing
• Grocery store/Food bank
• Corrections (prisons, jails, detention centers)
• Court of law
• Public transit
• First responders not included in earlier tiers (except administrators or those who can work remotely)
• Early learning a child care program workers in child care, youth development, and day camps that were not covered in Phase 1b1.
  

Congregate setting refers to work in an enclosed space around other people where physical distance cannot occur.

• Pregnant people
• People with a disability that puts them at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness.

Learn more about Washington's vaccine prioritization guidance.

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.
  
  
• 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:

If you live in King County and need transportation to your vaccine appointment, there are multiple options:

• Find a Ride: For transportation options, volunteer programs, and to plan your trip, visit www.findaride.org. For eligibility questions and more information, visit www.findaride.org/covid.
  
  
• Bus Services: 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 or call 206-553-3000.
  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.
  
  
• Have Medicaid or Apple Health Card?: Call Hopelink Medicaid at 800-923-7433. (Check eligibility)
  
  
• Are you an older adult or have a disability?: Call Metro Access at 206-205-5000. (Check eligibility)
  
  
• Are you trying to schedule transportation for multiple people? Fill out this form and a member of the Hopelink Mobility Management team will follow-up with you.
  
  

If you need assistance by phone or interpretation, call the Coordinated Vaccine Transportation Helpline at 425-943-6706 Monday-Friday between 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM and press 5 for language assistance.

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.

What to do about side effects

If you experience a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital. Call your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

Report vaccine side effects to FDA/CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Call the VAERS number at 1-800-822-7967 or report online at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. Include the name of the vaccine you received in the first line of box #18 in the report form.

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.

The good news is that once you’re fully vaccinated, you can start doing some things again that stopped because of the pandemic.

People are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines OR
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson's vaccine

If it has been less than 2 weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are NOT fully protected. Keep taking all prevention steps until you are fully vaccinated.
If you've been fully vaccinated, you can:

• Gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask
• Gather indoors without masks with unvaccinated people from no more than one household. Don't gather indoors without masks if any of those people, or anyone they live with, has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 (examples immunocompromised, 65 years+)
• If you have a known exposure to someone with COVID-19, you probably don't need to quarantine if you are exposed, unless you have symptoms. To be sure, check out the guidance about quarantine here.

Fully vaccinated people should continue to:

• Wear masks and socially distance in public.
• Avoid medium or larger-sized gatherings
• Delay domestic and international travel. If you do travel, you still need to follow CDC requirements.
• Watch for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you have been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, get tested and stay home and away from others.
• Follow guidance at your workplace.

We are still learning how well vaccines prevent the spread of COVID-19 and updates are ongoing. Check out the CDC's website for the latest guidance for people fully vaccinated.

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.
• 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 is be an option for homebound older adults. Mobile vaccinations teams and authorized health care providers who provide in-home visits provide these vaccinations.