On-site COVID-19 vaccination clinic at SEA Airport

On-site COVID-19 vaccination clinic at SEA Airport to serve transportation workers

The Port of Seattle, working with the Washington Department of Health, FEMA, and Safeway/Albertsons, opened a COVID-19 vaccination clinic this week to provide inoculations for transportation workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

The Port clinic begins ramping up this week, hoping to ultimately deliver 2,000 vaccines in a week, pending vaccine availability. Priority is for frontline and essential workers who would be the most vulnerable. This includes workers with airlines, security, the Port, and other tenants at the airport. The clinic is not open to the public or intended for those who can work remotely or in an office where physical distancing can be practiced.

SEA Airport is one of King County’s largest job sites and a major employer for cities near the airport. Hundreds of private companies employed over 20,000 workers here in 2019.

“We are all incredibly grateful to all the dedicated employees who kept SEA Airport open and operating every single day during the pandemic. They deserve our thanks, and they need immediate and convenient access to a vaccine,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. “Everyone benefits from this clinic. Expanding vaccination among our airport community benefits the workers and their families and gives passengers more peace of mind when they are ready to travel.”

Governor Jay Inslee’s expanded list of individuals eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of Phase 1B, Tier 2 includes those working in public transit. Eligible employees do not have to be vaccinated at SEA Airport; they can schedule a vaccine appointment at any qualified clinic.

The vaccine clinic being stood up at the airport is by appointment only and will provide flexibility for evening and weekend crew shifts. More appointments will be available next week and on an ongoing basis as eligibility from DOH is expanded to include others. The airport workers eligible for the vaccine clinic at the airport this week are custodial and janitorial workers, aircraft cabin cleaners, and Port of Seattle Police and other Port employees that cannot telework like security, operations, and maintenance. Next week we expand to airport dining and retail tenants and other airline employees.

Vaccine acquisition, storage, and handling will be through Safeway/Albertsons. The Port of Seattle is providing volunteers to help staff the logistics of the clinic.

“Safeway/Albertsons is committed to making vaccines available to essential workers and underserved members of our communities,” said David Green, Director of Pharmacy Operations for the Seattle Division of Safeway/Albertsons. “We are pleased to work with the Port of Seattle, DOH, and FEMA on this significant effort to vaccinate workers at SEA, who have been on the job throughout the pandemic.”

The Port continues to work with maritime industries and employers on how we can best assist efforts to vaccinate those workers near their places of work.