Dear fellow King County employee,

Last week I announced $7 million to create high-volume community vaccination sites and mobile teams so that as many people as possible in our community can receive COVID-19 vaccinations as quickly as possible.

My strategy is closely aligned with Washington State Department of Health (DOH) guidance for vaccine allocation, prioritization, and distribution. DOH has released a priority plan for vaccinating people in the next tiers, starting with Tier B1 potentially later this month. It has also released a chart showing estimated timelines for vaccine distribution, which contains some professions in which many County employees work, including corrections, transit, and law enforcement.

The rollout of vaccines is exciting news and is central to our efforts to end this pandemic, and people are anxiously awaiting news on when they may be eligible for vaccination.

It is important to remember that these timelines are estimates at this point, and are dependent upon several factors, including future federal vaccine allocations.

We continue to work closely with our state colleagues as well as partners in the community and at all levels of government to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are distributed quickly, safely, and equitably in King County and in communities across the state.

We will share more information on the vaccine distribution plan as more details become available. In the meantime, please continue to follow all current guidance, including wearing a mask, staying at least six feet away from others, limiting activities outside the home and avoiding crowds, washing hands often, and following CDC travel guidance and quarantine guidance after an exposure to someone with COVID-19.

Stay safe,

Dow Constantine
King County Executive