More than 1 million people in Washington state have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The state has also administered more than 3 million shots since mid-December, the state announced.
People who are fully vaccinated have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
That means about 15%, or one in every seven people in Washington, are fully vaccinated. About 25% of Washingtonians have initiated the vaccination process, according to the state.
“These milestones showcase the hard work and commitment to vaccination happening across our state,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health, in a prepared statement. “Vaccination is a critical tool we need to bring the COVID-19 pandemic to an end. This is a community effort and every single Washingtonian who receives a vaccine is helping us get closer to crossing the finish line.”
Currently, the state is in vaccine Phase 1B tier 2 of vaccination, which includes about 3 million people in Washington state. Next week's expansion to the next phase is expected to add 2 million people to the list of eligible people. The numbers are approximate since there might be people who overlap in different tiers. Washington state has about 7.5 million people.
There are still plenty of people who are eligible for a shot but who have not started the process. In the 65 and older age group, 70.3% have had at least one shot, with about 46% of that age group fully vaccinated, according to the state.
Also, state data show that some populations appear to have not been vaccinated in proportion to their numbers. For example, about 7% of state's Hispanic population has started or completed the vaccination process, though that group is about 13% of the state's population, according to the state's data dashboard.
The state has said everyone 16 and older will be eligible by May 1.