The Coalition has compiled some resources to help answer some frequently asked questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccines more generally.
Please review Dr. Maria Yang’s presentation reviewing the effects of Covid-19 on King County and information about currently available Covid-19 vaccines from our January 21, 2021 Membership Meeting.
Dr. Maria Yang works as the medical director for DESC. She has spent most of her career working in community psychiatry settings. She also likes cookies.
Is the vaccine safe and effective? Short answer: Yes, and yes (about 94% effective).
Watch the video below from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) about how the vaccine works in your body. We recognize that you or others you know may experience vaccine hesitancy, which is driven by the mistrust of public health and medical institutions due to their historical mistreatment of and unethical studies on Black, Indigenous, POC, disabled, and impoverished communities.
Watch and share this video with Public Health staff Hana Tadesse and Dr. Jeff Duchin that debunks common myths about the vaccine, and can help people make their decisions.
When will I and the people I serve be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?
We are currently in Phase 1B, tier 1 of vaccine distribution to anyone 65 and older, and all people 50 and older who also live in a multigenerational household. This is in addition to populations eligible during phase 1A including health care workers at high risk for COVID-19 infection, first responders, people who live or work in long-term care facilities, and all other workers in health settings who are at risk of COVID-19. Public health wants you to know that getting vaccinated is not a substitute for mask wearing and social distancing. Stay masked and six feet apart, and if you are concerned you may have been exposed to someone showing symptoms use this link to find a COVID-19 test site in your community.
Use the Washington State Department of Health Phase Finder tool to find out if you are eligible now. Then, take a gander at this visual guide of Washington State’s vaccine phases.
How are the vaccine phases determined?
The vaccine phase timeline is determined by a prioritization framework set at the national and state levels that takes into consideration risk, equity, and communities that are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. For additional background on vaccine phases click here and here.