Highlights | COVID-19 update
- UW Medicine recommends getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
- Local pharmacies are scheduling appointments and may also have drop-in availability.
- COVID-19 vaccines are not required for UW Medicine employees.
We are closely monitoring the rollout of the updated COVID-19 vaccines following their authorization by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While we recommend these updated vaccines for all eligible people, we want you to know that most of the vaccine supply is being sent to large commercial pharmacies. They are in short supply at UW Medicine.
Given the supply chain status, we have these important updates to share with you:
- UW Medicine does not have a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for employees.
- The fastest way to get vaccinated is at local pharmacies. You can generally find appointments within a few weeks, and some pharmacies may also have drop-in availability.
- The cost of COVID-19 vaccines will be covered by insurance or by the CDC Bridge Access Program for uninsured and underinsured adults.
- COVID-19 vaccines are not currently available at Employee Health.
Recommendations for Our Community: The updated COVID-19 vaccines will boost your protection against current variants and help to reduce your risk for hospitalization, serious illness and the potential complications following COVID-19 infection.
Based on CDC guidance, the following options are available for adults and children:
- Everyone ages 5 years and older can get one updated Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least two months after getting the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
- People 12 years of age and older can receive the 2023-2024 Novavax vaccine.
- See Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines for specific recommendations for people with recent cases of COVID-19, people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, and children under age 5.
We will let you know when we have adequate supplies and can provide more access to COVID-19 vaccines at UW Medicine. In the meantime, don’t forget to get your flu shot during our employee campaign or from your primary care or community provider. Thank you for your flexibility with these different approaches to the COVID-19 and flu vaccines and for helping us protect our patients and each other during the respiratory virus season.
Sincerely,
Timothy H. Dellit, MD
Interim CEO, UW Medicine
Interim Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Interim Dean of the School of Medicine
Brad Simmons
President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics
Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington
