500K Coronavirus Vaccine Doses: King County Reaches New Milestone

SEATTLE — Washington's most populous county reached another milestone in the fight against COVID-19 this week, having now administered more than half a million doses of coronavirus vaccine. Public Health - Seattle & King County announced the achievement Tuesday morning, calling it another step closer to completing a long journey ahead.

Earlier in the week, King County marked one year since identifying the nation's first known coronavirus death and becoming the earliest epicenter of COVID-19 infections in the United States.

According to the latest public health data, King County has made considerable strides in recent efforts to vaccinate its most vulnerable age groups. The county dashboard shows at least one dose has successfully reached nearly 64 percent of residents ages 75 and older, and 56 percent of those between 65 and 74 years old. Vaccinations have also reached every nursing home and assisted living community across the county, while 17 mobile vaccination teams continue their mission to immunize more high-risk adults that lack access to health care, officials said.

Despite the progress, public health officials are still working to correct persistent disparities in its vaccination efforts. Communities of color have suffered disproportionately over the course of the pandemic, and remain at considerably higher risk for infection, hospitalization and death. The same groups are underrepresented among vaccinated groups, according to the county health officer.

Overall supply chain issues have plagued vaccination efforts across the nation since they began last December, but new federal pledges suggest a significant boost to deliveries in the weeks and months to come. On Monday, Seattle unveiled plans for the region's most ambitious mass vaccination site, slated to open later in the month at the Lumen Field Events Center. At first, officials estimate the facility will be able to administer 5,000 doses per week. However, once enough supply is secured, that number could soar to 21,000 per day, the city said.

More promising news arrived Tuesday afternoon, as President Joe Biden announced the United States could have enough vaccine supply for every adult by the end of May, up from two months from previous estimates. Biden credited a new manufacturing partnership between Merck and Johnson & Johnson, which will allow for significant shipments of the newly-approved single-dose vaccine.

Across Washington, the state Department of Health is within striking distance of its goal to vaccinate 45,000 people per day. The state vaccination dashboard shows the current daily average above 37,000, with more than 1.6 million doses administered across the state since December.

Helpful vaccination links:

• King County vaccination dashboard
• Department of Health vaccination dashboard
• Getting vaccinated in King County