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 ...

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