City of Seattle approved as vaccine distributor; Seattle Fire mobile teams begin vaccinations at adult family homes in Seattle

Seattle Fire teams began vaccinations in 
adult family homes on Thursday
Photo courtesy Seattle Fire

Information from the City of Seattle Mayor’s Office

On January 9, 2021, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) approved the City of Seattle to serve as a vaccine distributor, meaning the City is eligible to receive weekly shipments of vaccine from DOH and can administer vaccine to Seattle residents and workers.

Following this approval, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) has launched two mobile vaccination teams to vaccinate nearly 1,000 residents and staff at Adult Family Homes (AFHs) within the next two weeks.

Mayor Jenny Durkan said “Even as more of us begin to get vaccinated, we’ll need to continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and following all public health guidance.”

The City will distribute the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, and will request vaccine allocations from DOH weekly.

The Seattle Fire Department’s mobile vaccination teams have a goal of vaccinating nearly 1,000 residents and staff at Adult Family Homes (AFHs) within the next two weeks. SFD will begin vaccinating AFHs Thursday, January 14, 2021.

The mobile vaccination teams will vaccinate AFHs not served by the federal government’s partnership with CVS/Walgreens, and locations were identified in partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County.

One of the Seattle Fire vaccinations teams
Photo courtesy Seattle Fire

Based on vaccine supply, the SFD teams expect to vaccinate every AFH in Seattle not served by the federal program by January 24, 2021, with the second dose provided at each home by February 21, 2021.

SFD will vaccinate both residents and workers at each AFH. AFHs serve both older adults and people with disabilities.

The State Department of Health – based in part on national best practices – determines who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, and when they are eligible. Currently, Washington is in phases A1 and A2 of the vaccination effort, in which high-risk workers in health care settings, high-risk first responders, and long-term care facility residents are eligible to get the vaccine.

Later in January, Washington will begin phase B1, in which all people over 70 years old and people over 50 years old who live in multi-generational households (households that include more than one generation) are eligible to get vaccinated.

This is part of a nationwide program to allow big cities to be distribution centers.