Eastside's 1st Mass Vaccination Site Opens; Slots Fill Up Fast

SAMMAMISH, WA — The Eastside's first community mass vaccination site began administering COVID-19 vaccines Monday, thanks to a new partnership between Issaquah, Sammamish, the Snoqualmie Tribe and Eastside Fire & Rescue.

The new site, located at Lake Sammamish State Park, is an expansion of a clinic on the Snoqualmie Tribal Reservation, and the tribe will supply all the doses needed to keep things running.

"The Snoqualmie Tribe is proud to be able to provide these vaccines to individuals living in the Snoqualmie Tribe’s ancestral lands," said Robert De Los Angeles, Snoqualmie Tribal Chairman. "In the 1860s, the Snoqualmie people and other Northwest Natives experienced great loss as white settlers adopted a smallpox vaccine policy that discriminated against Natives. Now, the Snoqualmie Tribe is exercising sovereignty through our Tribal values by caring for the people and communities living on our ancestral lands 160 years later during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Vaccines are available by appointment only, and walk-ups will not be accepted. The drive-thru site operates Monday through Friday and offers the two-dose Moderna vaccine, cleared for use in people ages 18 and older. All doses are administered by employees of Eastside Fire & Rescue. At current supply levels, officials aim to complete up to 300 appointments daily.

“Eastside Fire & Rescue has been working with the Snoqualmie Tribe since 2015, when the Tribe contracted EF&R to provide fire and EMS services on the Snoqualmie Reservation," said Jeff Clark, the fire chief. "It is an honor to be able to partner with the Tribe on vaccination efforts for their community and now the broader Eastside."

Eastside residents currently eligible for vaccines under the state's phases qualify to schedule an appointment online as slots become available. Last Wednesday, officials said an overwhelming response at the new site had filled all slots for the next two weeks. New appointments will be posted every Monday by 4 p.m.

Members of the Snoqualmie Tribe may also contact the tribal government via e-mail for help booking an appointment at the new site. Residents with general questions can direct them to Eastside Fire & Rescue. There are also volunteer opportunities for greeters, assistants and timekeepers, which are being coordinated by the city of Issaquah.

The mayors of Sammamish and Issaquah welcomed the new clinic and gave thanks to the Snoqualmie Tribe for helping make the site possible.

Issaquah Mayor Mary Lou Pauly:

“The Snoqualmie Tribe Vaccine Partnership is an amazing story of just that – a successful partnership. Issaquah and Sammamish, along with numerous private and public partners, worked tirelessly to bring a community-based vaccination site to the Eastside. However, with vaccines in short supply, we had limited options. We are forever grateful for Snoqualmie Tribe’s partnership and care for our communities and look forward to educating our residents about the tribe’s deep history on these ancestral lands.”

Sammamish Mayor Karen Moran:

“Our commitment from Sammamish is to continue the respectful partnership between our city and the Snoqualmie Tribe. We want to honor what the Snoqualmie Tribe has brought to our communities, not only in the form of vaccines, but also your culture, your history, your legacy, and your lands. We are so grateful to the Snoqualmie Tribe for this partnership, it will truly help save lives.”

Learn more about getting vaccinated on the Snoqualmie Tribe Vaccine Partnership website.