Mass COVID-19 vaccination site opening at Seattle's Lumen Field Event Center
A mass COVID-19 vaccination site at the Lumen Field Event Center will open in March as the city of Seattle expands its effort to vaccinate people.
Approximately 5,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will initially be administered at Lumen Field each week, according to the city. That could increase to as much as 21,000 vaccinations a day – supply permitting.
VERIFY: Current evidence suggests it's OK to breastfeed after COVID-19 vaccine
Yes, you can get vaccinated if you’re currently breastfeeding or you’re about to start. And current evidence shows you can pass your antibodies to your child.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says on its advisory last updated February 4: “There is no need to avoid initiation or discontinue breastfeeding in patients who receive a COVID-19 vaccine” and adds “theoretical concerns regarding the safety of vaccinating lactating individuals do not outweigh the potential benefits of receiving the vaccine.”
Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine could be in Washington in a 'few weeks,' doctor says
A National Vaccine Advisory Committee member from Washington says the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine could be available in Washington in a few weeks.
“Now the catch is we're not going to see very much right away," said Dr. John Dunn, medical director for preventive care at Kaiser Permanente Washington. "It's actually going to take a while before we see large amounts of vaccine available in the United States in general and in Washington state in particular.”
How many people in Washington state have been vaccinated for COVID-19?
As of Feb. 27, 2021, the state has issued more than 1.6 million total doses of vaccine. About 14.3% of the state's population — 1,080,764 people — have initiated vaccination and have had at least one shot, according to the Washington State Department of Health's COVID-19 data dashboard. In that group, 58,9725 — or 7.81% — have been fully vaccinated.
The state aims to reach an average 45,000 COVID-19 shots a day, and President Joe Biden intends to have 300 million vaccines available for everyone in the United States by the end of summer.
Fauci encourages Americans to take the vaccine 'most available to them'
The nation's top infectious disease expert is encouraging the American public to take the shot "most available to them." It comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency approval of Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine.
In an interview with "Meet the Press" Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci said all three coronavirus vaccines, including Moderna, Pfizer and now Johnson & Johnson, are "highly efficacious."
VERIFY: Are fully vaccinated people still getting COVID-19?
There are rare cases in which fully vaccinated people are still getting COVID-19. In fact, that’s expected because no vaccine is perfect.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are about 95% effective, which means that there will be some people who might end up getting sick even after they receive the vaccination.
How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Washington
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released an online portal to check your eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. Use the Phase Finder tool to input personal information like age, health conditions and essential worker status to determine if it's your turn.
As of Jan. 18, Washington is vaccinating people in Phase 1A and the first tier of Phase 1B. That includes:
- High-risk health care workers and first responders
- Long-term care residents
- People 65 years old and older
- People 50 years old and older in multigenerational households
If you are eligible, find a list of vaccine providers on the DOH website and information on how to make an appointment.
