On Sunday, the City of Seattle provided COVID-19 vaccines to many Seattle area child care providers, educators, and school staff at the community testing and vaccination hub in Rainier Beach, where the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) administered the City’s first allocation of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“We must get our teachers and kids back in the classroom in a way that protects the health and safety of educators, students, and families. The City was proud to host this vaccination clinic for our child care providers and educators so we can do our part in safely and equitably reopening schools,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “Our child care providers have been working in-person since the pandemic began to take care of our kids and provide much needed relief and security for families. I am also grateful to our partners at Seattle Public Schools for their quick and good work to register school staff and educators for this clinic, and their continued partnership throughout the pandemic.”
At the event, the City vaccinated nearly 1,000 child care providers, youth services providers, educators, and school staff using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This was the City’s first allocation of Johnson & Johnson, a one-dose vaccine which, in its trial period, provided complete protection against hospitalizations and death. The City’s Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL) led registration outreach for the event in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR).
The event marked the second opportunity for DEEL partners to access the COVID-19 vaccine. On March 7, nearly 300 community-based child care and preschool providers from the City’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
DEEL and SPR have developed new programs and adapted existing investments to meet community needs throughout the City’s pandemic response. In April 2020, more than 20 DEEL preschool providers provided free child care to essential workers in the early days of the pandemic through the City’s new Emergency Child Care program. In September 2020, SPR began offering full-day child care to school age children as well as services to middle and high school youth at Teen Hubs; both SPR programs support student access to Seattle Public Schools remote instruction in community centers throughout the City. DEEL’s portfolio of Families, Education, Preschool and Program (FEPP) Levy investments have also been modified to meet student needs from remote academic and enrichment programming, to telemedicine and virtual counseling services with School Based Health Center partners, and the extension of tuition and success supports for the Seattle Promise scholars impacted by COVID-19.
“Last Spring, when school buildings closed, our school partners, teaching artists, mentoring, and tutoring programs all found ways to serve students online and build relationship in virtual spaces,” said Dwane Chappelle, DEEL Director. “With access to the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine for our childcare and education providers, we are now able to plan for the safe return of students to the classroom and our continued pursuit of educational equity for Seattle’s children and youth.”
All Phase 1A, Phase 1B, Tier 1, and Phase 1B, Tier 2 eligible members of the public – including educators – can sign up now for the City’s vaccination appointment notification list. Once eligible members of the public sign up for the City’s notification list, they will receive an email notification when vaccination appointments become available at any of the City’s three fixed sites in Rainier Beach, West Seattle, and the Lumen Field Event Center. The notification list is available here, and residents can also contact the Customer Service Bureau at 206-684-2489 from Monday through Saturday, between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for assistance completing this form. In-language assistance is available over the phone.
Since launching its vaccination effort on January 14, the City of Seattle has administered 21,878 vaccinations to eligible vulnerable adults. These vaccinations have occurred at 86 Adult Family Homes, 58 affordable housing buildings with seniors, ten pop-ups, and the city’s three fixed vaccination sites. Roughly 70 percent of those vaccinated by the City identify as BIPOC communities.
For more information, including the notification list, visit the City’s vaccination website at www.seattle.gov/vaccine.
