Marking one year of COVID-19 vaccines in Washington

One year ago, the first COVID-19 vaccine shipment arrived in Washington state.

Since then, the Washington State Department of Health says more than 11.3 million doses of vaccine have been administered across the state, and more than 5.4 million Washingtonians have received at least one dose.

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“It is amazing to see how far we have come in just one year,” said Dr. Umair Shah, state secretary of health, in a written release. “From mass vaccination sites, to public-private partnerships through the Vaccine Action Command and Coordination System (VACCS) Center, mobile vaccination efforts through Care-a-Van, and more, it is clear this response has taken an immense amount of ingenuity and hard work. I am proud to serve as the state’s Secretary of Health and call Washington home.”

As of this fall, vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include children as young as 5 years old. In less than six weeks of vaccinations, the state reports that more than 158,000 children ages 5-11 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Now, booster doses are recommended for everyone 16 an older six months after completing an mRNA vaccine series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two months after receiving the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

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Use the state’s Vaccine Locator to make an appointment for your first or second dose, or for a booster dose. Or call the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 833-VAX-HELP. Language assistance is available.

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