Seattle, King County drop Covid vaccine requirement for employees

King County and City of Seattle employees will no longer be required to have the Covid-19 vaccine to keep their job.

Originally put in place in 2021, the mandate required proof of the initial vaccine series as a condition of employment for city and county workers.

On Monday, officials dropped it, effective immediately.

“The vaccine mandate was an effective and necessary tool for protecting the health and safety of City workers and the public we serve,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement.

“The City’s actions then and now have always been informed by the science of the pandemic and recommendations of public health officials — an approach based on data and dedicated to saving lives.”

Various layers of pandemic requirements have gradually been phased out at all levels of government in the state as people have tried to adjust to living with the virus.

The most recent change in policy reflects the changing nature of the pandemic, and the tools available to protect the public, according to King County Executive Dow Constantine.

“With high vaccination rates and effective, updated boosters available, we are in a different place in the pandemic, and our policies and regulations will change to reflect the best information we have available today, as they have throughout the last three years,” Constantine said.

In addition to ending the employee vaccine mandate, Constantine also ended the county’s Covid-19 emergency proclamation Monday.

While health officials say staying up to date with Covid-19 vaccines and boosters is still crucial, they say the threat to the community and health care system has decreased enough that vaccines no longer need to be required.

Although it was controversial, the initial employee vaccine mandate didn't result in a mass exodus of city and county employees.

According to the joint statement released Monday, just under 2% of county employees and just under 1% of city employees lost employment due to the rules.

A vaccine mandate for state workers remains in effect and a spokesperson for Gov. Jay Inslee said via email there's no plan to remove it at this time.