COVID-19 Vaccines
For patients or parents seeking a COVID-19 vaccine, visit the state's
Vaccine Locator,
or call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 800.525.0127, then
press #.
Information for health care professionals below.
Instilling COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence
The WSMA has joined the Washington State Department of Health to help
promote confidence in, and uptake of, life-saving COVID-19 vaccines. Our members are the key to our success in this endeavor. By leveraging the
trust patients have in their physicians, you can help ensure
Washingtonians are receiving guidance based on sound science and good
medical practice—and help counter the increasing barrage of misinformation
circulating on- and offline.
The following resources can help you and your practice or
organization in this effort.
Many patients have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and its impact on their health. WSMA President Nathan Schlicher, MD, JD, sent a message to all physicians and physicians assistants in Washington urging them to reach out to their patients directly to talk to them about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Download the president's message, which includes a sample message you can send to your patients.
Remember: Many patients have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Please make yourself available to talk to your patients about the vaccine, regardless of your specialty.
The DOH offers a
new provider toolkit
featuring educational materials and information designed to
instill confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
Key COVID-19 vaccine messages
The WSMA and the Washington State Department of Health are reinforcing
these key COVID-19 vaccine messages:
- Don’t hesitate, vaccinate.
-
All three COVID-19 vaccines are safe and very effective in protecting
you and protecting others.
- Talk to your doctor today about getting the shot.
“Don’t Hesitate, Vaccinate!” public service announcement
The WSMA and the DOH have produced a 45-second PSA featuring WSMA President Nathan
Schlicher, MD, JD, MBA, called “Don't hesitate, just vaccinate!.” Share freely with your networks.
Messages from the WSMA president
Your WSMA president has authored or co-authored editorials urging public confidence in all three life-saving COVID-19 vaccines.
Countering hesitancy in patients and health care workers
WSMA members Bob Lutz, MD, from the Department of Health’s
COVID-19 Response Team, and John H Vassall MD, physician executive for
quality, safety & equity at Comagine Health, shared best practices for
addressing Washingtonians' hesitancy and how to approach communities with
significant health disparities in a recent webinar. View the
archived webinar on the Department of Health website.
COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
Enroll in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program
Practice, clinics, and other facilities interested in administering
COVID-19 vaccine must enroll in the federal COVID-19 Vaccination
Program. Visit the
DOH website for details. For questions about the enrollment process or for technical
assistance, please contact
COVID.vaccine@doh.wa.gov.
Volunteers needed
The Washington State Department of Health, in partnership with our
health profession boards and commissions, has made it easier for
retired health care workers or those with inactive licenses to get
back into the workforce and help administer the COVID-19 vaccine. On
Jan. 31, Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah signed the
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act)
authorization, allowing workers with expired or inactive licenses to administer
COVID-19 vaccines under certain circumstances.
To participate, health care workers must first register
WAserv.org. Check the Department
of Health's health care provider resource page
for a registration guide, which provides step-by-step instructions for
navigating WAserv.
Before registering, participants will need to have access to their
previous Washington state credential numbers, which may be obtained
through the Department of Health’s
Provider Credential Search. The Department of Health will also be checking out of state
credentials for any disciplinary history.
After registering, participants must wait to receive confirmation from
the Department of Health that they are authorized to administer
COVID-19 vaccines under Dr. Shah’s authorization. For more details
about WAserve, be sure to review the FAQs linked to from the WAserve
homepage, or available
here. If you still have questions about registration, email
waserv@doh.wa.gov.
COVID-19 vaccine distribution and prioritization
Everyone 12 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The state’s phased
eligibility approach has helped ensure those most vulnerable were the
first to be vaccinated, including older adults, those in long term
care facilities, critical health care workers, and more.
Details on the state's vaccine distribution planning can be found on
the
DOH COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution webpage.
COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup
The
COVID-19 Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which includes Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, and
California, reviews the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines when
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. State officials
believe this added layer of independent expert review will help build
confidence in the vaccine. Washington's representatives on the work
group include Edgar Marcus, MD, University of Washington, and John
Dunn, MD, Kaiser Permanente Washington.
COVID-19 vaccination training