Citing Vaccination Rates, Lake Sammamish Site to Close Saturday

SAMMAMISH, WA — After two months in operation and more than 15,000 doses given, the Eastside's mass vaccination site at Lake Sammamish State Park is closing up shop on Saturday. The site opened back on April 12, launched in partnership between Issaquah, Sammamish, the Snoqualmie Tribe and Eastside Fire & Rescue, whose employees administered the shots.

Since then, Sammamish officials said approximately 15,250 doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered at the site — all of which were donated by the Snoqualmie Tribe. In deciding to close the site, officials pointed to high vaccination rates among residents.

According to King County's vaccination dashboard, the area including Bellevue, Issaquah and Mercer Island has some of the county's highest overall vaccination rates, amounting to 85.5 percent of all residents 12 and older with at least one dose, and nearly 75 percent have completed the series.

Across Lake Washington, Seattle is making similar changes, closing all but one of the fixed city-run sites throughout June. Earlier in the week, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Seattle was the first large city in the United States to cross the 70 percent threshold for fully vaccinated residents 12 and older.

For residents who got their vaccine at Lake Sammamish and want to send some words of appreciation, the Snoqualmie Tribe Vaccine Partnership launched an online board to leave thank you notes. The board already has dozens of entries.