After 9 long months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first vaccines have arrived in Washington state and Kaiser Permanente is an approved vaccine provider in every market we serve. We will administer initial vaccines to the populations prioritized by state health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regardless of health plan membership.
We will not charge for the vaccine. Vaccine doses purchased with taxpayer dollars are required by the federal government to be given at no cost.
Kaiser Permanente is proud to have played an important role in vaccine development, including participating in Phase 3 of the Pfizer/BioNTech clinical trials and providing Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute leadership in the Moderna clinical trials.
What we know and what comes next
- The federal government has allotted an estimated 62,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for Washington’s initial allocation, and the state expects an additional allocation of 339,475 doses by the end of December.
- According to the CDC and state health department guidelines, the first eligible to receive the vaccine will be high-risk workers in health care settings, high-risk first responders, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
- It will take some time before our vaccine allocation allows us to vaccinate everyone eligible in the first phase. As we receive more doses sometime in January, we anticipate being able to reach additional priority groups.
- Vaccine supply will increase over time and all adults should be able to be vaccinated later in 2021.
Get answers to your COVID-19 vaccine questions
To hear the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines, call 1-855-550-0951 (TTY 711), anytime, day or night. You can also visit our COVID-19 FAQ page.
It will likely take several months to achieve widespread vaccination. For now, please continue to stay safe and healthy. Wear a mask, wash your hands, stay 6 feet apart, and remember to get your flu shot.
Thank you for your patience and persistence. We will continue to update you as more information becomes available.