Seattle University encourages all students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. All people in the U.S. 16-years-old and up are now eligible to receive the vaccine. Here are some options and resources for scheduling appointments:
- In Seattle, students, faculty and staff can sign up to be notified of appointments available at the four City-affiliated clinics.
- Among other locations, appointments are also being made available at clinics in Kent and Auburn, with priority given to south King County residents.
- For those living outside of Seattle/King County, visit org, Federal Retail Pharmacy Program or visit state health department to find additional vaccination locations in your area.
Don’t Forget That Second Dose
As recently reported, approximately 8 percent of Americans who received the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are missing their appointments for the second dose. Public health experts remind us that the second dose is key in providing stronger immunity to COVID-19.
In-home Vaccination Now Available
For those who have an injury, developmental disability or medical condition that makes it difficult to leave the home, the county is now offering in-home vaccinations (see option 7 at Getting vaccinated in King County). To request an appointment, call the King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977, 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Interpretation is available. Callers will be asked a few questions to confirm they are eligible for in-home vaccination.
Call for Volunteers at Lumen Field Vaccination Clinic
Volunteers are needed to support the largest civilian-run mass vaccination clinic in the country with Swedish and the City of Seattle at Lumen Field! Create your volunteer profile. Once you have entered your profession/certification, you’ll be able to see which roles you are qualified for. Explore these roles by reviewing at Job Aids . If you have any trouble registering, please e-mail April.Hillery@swedish.org.
The Importance of Staying Vigilant
OK, so you’ve got your vaccination. That’s great, but it doesn’t mean you can ditch the mask and fully return to pre-pandemic life.
For one, we still don’t know for sure whether vaccinated people can transmit the virus to others. As the CDC says, “A growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others. However, further investigation is ongoing.” Then there’s the “breakthrough cases” in which vaccinated people test positive for COVID-19 two weeks or more after receiving the full course of the vaccine. In the grand scheme of things, such cases are relatively rare (and scientists say are to be expected of any vaccine), but why not increase the odds of keeping yourself (and others) healthy by continuing to wear face coverings and maintaining physical distancing?
Testing, Tracing and Other Tools
While COVID-19 vaccines are top of mind these days, let’s not forget the other tools that are equally essential to taming the pandemic—testing, contact tracing and, if necessary, quarantine and isolation. You can visit the Department of Health for testing locations. DOH also is partnering with Walgreens to offer no-cost testing at many of their Washington locations with drive-thru pharmacies. Visit Walgreens testing for participating locations and to register for an appointment. To report confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, contact covid-19-report@seattleu.edu or (206) 296-5990.