Our state is now in Phase 1a and Phase 1b, Tier 1 and Tier 2 for vaccine distribution and many King County employees who have been on the front lines during the pandemic are now eligible, including staff working in congregate settings in public transit, corrections, courts, and first responders not covered under earlier phases. 

If you are eligible for a vaccine, you are encouraged to look for open appointments across all current options available to you, and not wait: 

• Call your doctor’s office or health care provider to see if they have available vaccination appointments. 
• Washington State’s Phase Finder online tool can confirm your eligibility and provide you with a list of possible vaccination locations. Phase Finder is available in multiple languages here.
• Visit Washington State Department of Health’s list of vaccination locations, organized by county.
• 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, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• WA COVID Vaccine Finder is a volunteer-driven effort to help Washingtonians find appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine. www.covidwa.com
• Community vaccination site at Lumen Field.  If you live or work in King County and are eligible under Phase 1A through Phase 1B, Tier 2, you can sign up for this notification list and will be notified via email when appointments become available at any of the three City of Seattle fixed vaccination sites, including the Lumen Field Event Center.

How to Get Vaccinated With Kaiser Permanente

Whether you’re a Kaiser Permanente member or not, King County employees can follow these steps if you’d like to get your COVID-19 vaccine with Kaiser Permanente.

Regardless of where you get a COVID-19 vaccination — the doctor’s office, a pharmacy, a community event, or other location — you should not have to pay anything. Checking with your health care provider is the best place to start, but if they do not have vaccine availability you should check other vaccine locations.  

If you are covered under a King County employee health plan, you may be asked to provide your Regence BlueShield, CVS, or Kaiser Permanente insurance card.

Getting vaccinated is an eligible use of sick leave, and starting March 10, King County will approve employees using Paid Administrative Leave when taking time off to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Employees will need to follow workplace procedures for requesting the time off.

All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19. These vaccines have been studied in clinical trials with large and diverse groups of people, of various ages, races, and ethnicities.

We have built an employee vaccines webpage where you can learn how to find out when you are eligible, how to schedule a vaccine, information about your benefits, and much more. You’ll also find the latest vaccine information from Public Health at kingcounty.gov/vaccine.

Remember that the virus is still spreading in our community and we are under the threat from more contagious new variants. It remains more important than ever to continue to wear masks, stay at least six feet apart, and avoid gatherings with people you don’t live with.