Seattle hits major milestone, becomes ‘most vaccinated city’ in US

The Lumen Field vaccination site in Seattle. (Mayor Jenny Durkan, Twitter)

Seattle has officially passed a major vaccination milestone, becoming the first major US city to have 70% of its residents aged 12 and over fully vaccinated.

Poll: The Seattle Metropolitan Area Is Most Eager In The Country To Receive The COVID Vaccine

That 70 percent mark is one that Mayor Jenny Durkan has targeted for months after being head to head with San Francisco on the way to that goal. By the end of April, over 60% of eligible adults in Seattle had received at least one dose. At the time of publication, 78% of residents aged 12 and over have started vaccinating.

“When we started our vaccination effort earlier this year, I said I wanted Seattle to be the first major American city to fully vaccinate 70 percent of its population. Today I am incredibly proud that we achieved this goal, ”said Durkan in a written press release. “Seattle is America’s most vaccinated metropolis, and it would not have been possible without the commitment of our residents to protect themselves, their loved ones, and our entire community.”

On its own, San Francisco lags just behind Seattle and is just under 70% of fully vaccinated residents aged 12 and over. San Jose, Boston, and Portland round out the top 5, all of which are between 60 and 70%.

Nationwide, over 63% of Washingtoners aged 16 and over have received at least one dose, while over 55% in this population group are fully vaccinated.

“Will take time” for Washington State to adjust to the total number of vaccines

This is because Seattle has started shifting its vaccination strategy away from fixed locations and focusing on mobile clinics instead. The city officially closed its West Seattle vaccination site on Wednesday, and the Lumen Field bulk vaccination site is slated to close on Saturday. A third location in Rainier Beach will close on June 23.

In the future, the city will focus on making it easier for small retailers, restaurants, and art and cultural sites to reopen and on increasing the use of local transport. The Seattle Fire Department mobile vaccination teams will continue to host pop-up vaccination clinics across the city.