City of Seattle opens two new vaccination sites, plans to open mass clinic at Lumen Field

City of Seattle expanding efforts to get people vaccinated

More and more testing and vaccine sites are opening up.

seattle - The city of Seattle opened two new fixed testing and vaccination sites in Rainier Beach and West Seattle. A mass vaccination clinic in Lumen Field is expected to open later this month.

80-year-old David West received his first shot in Rainier Beach on Monday.

"I feel good. I might live another 100 years," said West.

West was one of many Seattle residents to finally get an appointment.

"I'm relieved, relieved. Now I don't have to be up at 2 or 3 a.m. surfing the web to try to find somewhere that has an appointment I can get to," said Roberta Byrd-Wright.

Kenneth Lynn adds, "before this came available, I had been trying for a little over six weeks."

For 65-year-old Lynn, getting the vaccine hit close to home.

"I've lost two friends to COVID and it's hard, especially for us older folks. But just knowing I got the first part of it out of the way, I feel a little safer," said Lynn.

The two new sites will reach underserved areas and communities of color.

"These two clinics really will become neighborhood hubs in the hardest-hit communities and in West Seattle, a community that has been significantly cut off and isolated since the West Seattle bridge has been out," said Mayor Jenny Durkan.

Together, both clinics will initially administer 2,000 doses each week, but once supply ramps up, each site will be able to administer 1,000 shots per day.

Durkan says the timeline of when that will happen is unclear but wanted to have the infrastructure ready to go when it happens.

The city is also planning to open a mass vaccination site at Lumen Field later this month with the goal of vaccinating at least 5,000 people per week. At full capacity, the site could be able to vaccinate up to 20,000 people per day.

Appointments at the Rainier Beach and West Seattle sites will be made through referrals from community organizations. Lumen Field's clinic will be open to anyone eligible but some appointments may be prioritized to those most vulnerable.