Drafter
Clerk 01/22/2021 (TO)
Title
A MOTION requesting an equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to King County.
Body
WHEREAS, public health - Seattle & King County activated the Public Health Departmental Emergency Operations Center on January 21, 2020, for the significant health emergency caused by novel coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19"), and
WHEREAS, the King County executive issued a proclamation of emergency on March 1, 2020, in order to exercise the executive's emergency powers, and
WHEREAS, Washington Governor Jay Inslee issued Proclamation 20-25 on March 23, 2020, imposing a Stay Home - Stay Healthy Order throughout Washington State, and
WHEREAS, as of January 19, 2021, there have been 72,600 positive cases and 1,185 deaths in King County, and
WHEREAS, on December 11, 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and on December 18, 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration granted an Emergency Use Authorization for the Moderna vaccine, and
WHEREAS, the federal government, through "Operation Warp Speed," produces and distributes COVID-19 vaccines, and state governments determine how vaccines are distributed within their jurisdiction, and
WHEREAS, during the January 15, 2021, COVID-19 update, public health - Seattle & King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin stated that King County has received approximately 141,000 vaccines to date which is 23 percent of the total allocation for Washington state, and
WHEREAS, King County is home to 30 percent of the total population of Washington State, representing around 2.25 million people, and
WHEREAS, King County as of January 22, 2021, King County has only received approximately 214,425 vaccines which is 25.3 percent of the total allocation for Washington state, and
WHEREAS, an effective and efficient vaccine administration system can minimize COVID-19 vaccine waste that can occur due to doses being prepared and unused before their time limit lapses or other procedural issues, and
WHEREAS, vaccines administered to eligible healthcare workers who do not reside within the county limits were not counted in our vaccine administration data during Phase 1A in King County, and
WHEREAS, King County is home to large private sector businesses, including Starbucks, Microsoft and Costco, that have agreed to contribute to the COVID-19 vaccine distribution infrastructure by providing administration sites, thereby allowing King County the unique ability in Washington state to more efficiently administer vaccines than would otherwise be possible;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The council requests that King County receive a greater portion of the allocation of vaccines provided to Washington state in proportion to the number of eligible individuals who will be vaccinated in King County, as prescribed under each COVID-19 vaccine distribution phase outlined by the Washington state Department of Health.