Title
A MOTION condemning the preferential access to COVID-19 vaccinations for hospital donors and calling on the state Legislature to take action prohibiting such actions.
Body
WHEREAS, as of February 1, 2021, there have been 77,017 positive cases of COVID-19 and 1,264 deaths in King County, and
WHEREAS, as of February 1, 2021, there have been 293,250 COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated across King County, approximately 250,063 of which have been administered, and
WHEREAS, at the metropolitan King County council meeting on January 12, 2021, public health-Seattle & King County director Patty Hayes expressed the unified goal to efficiently and equitably vaccinate as many King County residents as possible, and
WHEREAS, the federal government has announced that it will send an initial shipment of one million doses directly to 6,500 pharmacy stores across the country beginning on February 11, 2021, and
WHEREAS, as of January 18, 2021, all older adults in Washington state over the age of 65, and some people age 50 and older who are living in multigenerational households, are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and
WHEREAS, many seniors and vulnerable populations throughout the county are struggling to access and navigate the current public health landscape in order to sign up for and receive COVID-19 vaccines, and
WHEREAS, the digital divide and mobility access continue to wreak havoc on many low-income seniors, Black, Indigenous and People of Color ("BIOPOC") and vulnerable populations with disabilities and who are unhoused, making it difficult to sign up to receive a vaccine or travel to an appropriate vaccination site, and
WHEREAS, BIPOC, immigrant and senior communities, and essential workers have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, and
WHEREAS, centuries of systemic racism have led some in the BIPOC communities to be distrustful of vaccinations administered by the government, and
WHEREAS, trust and positive public perception of the s...
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