Mayor Durkan: Seattle could approach citywide herd immunity by end of May
Apr 26, 2021, 12:26 PM | Updated: 3:27 pm
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. (Seattle Channel)
(Seattle Channel)
With COVID-19 vaccine eligibility continuing to quickly ramp up in Seattle, Mayor Jenny Durkan believes the city could approach herd immunity by the end of May.
Poll: Seattle metro area most eager in country to get the COVID vaccine
That came as part of a larger announcement, with Durkan touting the availability of “tens of thousands” of vaccine appointments for anyone over the age of 16 who lives or works in King County. As of late Monday morning, the city had over 17,000 open appointments across three clinics.
This recent increase in vaccine availability is being fueled by Seattle’s largest allocation yet, with the city expecting to receive over 50,000 doses this week. Appointments are being offered at the Lumen Field Event Center, at vaccination hubs in Rainier Beach and West Seattle, and at an additional drive-through hub in North Seattle.
If that supply trend continues — and demand for vaccinations holds — citywide herd immunity could be on the horizon, Durkan predicts.
Vaccines save lives & are easier to get than ever. As of 9:30am, there are over 17,000 open vaccination appointments at City sites. We are opening it up for everyone 16+ to directly schedule an appointment right now, no waitlist or unique link required: https://t.co/QBTzzBQfc5
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) April 26, 2021
“We could fully vaccinate 70 percent of our workers and residents by the end of May,” she said in a written release.
According to data cited on April 23, 34.7% of Seattleites have been fully vaccinated, while 61.5% have received at least one dose.
Where to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in Washington state
While estimates vary, the predominant belief among leading health experts is that herd immunity against COVID-19 will require between 70-80% of people to be fully vaccinated.
“The next two weeks are key to our vaccination efforts: The City can’t end this pandemic alone – we need your help,” Durkan said.
You can find the latest vaccine information here, sign up for Lumen Field, Rainier Beach, or West Seattle appointments here, or register for the North Seattle hub here. If you live or work in King County, you can register and check appointment availability through this portal.
