King County offers free clinics to help kids catch up on their shots

Kids got behind on their vaccines during and after the pandemic — and so far, they’re not catching up.

To try to turn things around, free clinics in many South King County locations will offer vaccines to kids who live there, as well as to those who are uninsured, unsheltered, or new to the U.S., or who don’t have an established primary care provider.

The clinics are concentrated in South King County because the vaccination rates tend to be lower there.

“That leaves room for vaccine-preventable diseases to come in and cause outbreaks,” said Debra Berliner, a program manager in the county public health agency’s immunization branch. “It leaves people vulnerable — especially people who are too young to get vaccinated, immunocompromised, seniors.”

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Berliner said she’s especially worried about measles and whooping cough because they’re so contagious, and they’re dangerous — sometimes deadly — diseases. A whooping cough outbreak is currently spreading through South King County.

There are a host of potential barriers to vaccination, Berliner said.

“Oftentimes, parents and caregivers are working multiple jobs, and it can be hard to get to a vaccination appointment for your child,” she said. “Lack of reliable and affordable transportation. Long wait times for medical appointments. For some communities, there’s eroded trust because of historical injustices, language barriers, fear of deportation.”

“For many families, vaccination clinics in familiar and trusted community settings are the best and sometimes only option,” she added.

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The county’s upcoming clinics are at schools, libraries, and community events.

Vaccination rates in the county were at an all-time high in 2019 but dropped during and after the pandemic. Now, the county’s trying to regain lost ground.