Vaccination Rates Soar Among State Workers As Deadline Approaches

WASHINGTON — Almost 90 percent of Washington state employees provided proof they were fully vaccinated by the first week of October, leaving just a few thousand to go before the deadline to meet Gov. Jay Inslee's mandate arrives on Oct. 18. The state Office of Financial Management released a new report Monday, updating immunization rates by agency through Oct. 7.

In order to meet the deadline, public workers needed to get their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or single dose of Johnson & Johnson, no later than Oct. 4. Inslee's order allows for a narrow set of exemptions for medical reasons or "sincerely held religious beliefs."

According to the data released Monday, about 89.5 percent of the employees subject to the mandate have already met the deadline — up more than 20 percent from the last update shared in late September. When the headcount is adjusted to account for those who were granted exemptions and accommodations, the immunization rate is closer to 92 percent, the state said.

Compared with last September, many agencies are now reporting rates well above 90 percent, including the Department of Corrections, the Department of Labor & Industries and the Department of Health. Last week, Washington State Patrol separately announced 93 percent of its employees were fully vaccinated.

Here are a few of the leaders among larger state agencies (by adjusted headcount):

• Department of Ecology: 97.11%
• Department of Licensing: 94.58%
• Department of Transportation: 92.87%
• Department of Corrections: 92.83%
• Department of Fish & Wildlife: 92.69%

While agencies have seen big gains across the board, a few still lag behind, including the Department of Agriculture (79.14%) and the State Parks and Recreation Commission (84.02%). State agencies still have until next Monday to confirm vaccination statuses and review exemption requests.

According to the OFM report, state agencies granted more than 4,200 religious exemptions by Oct. 4 and denied only 184. However, workers can still face termination if their workplace cannot accommodate the exemption. Overall, the report showed 1,312 accommodation plans were approved, 1,475 were denied and more than 1,000 were still pending. For medical exemptions, 866 were granted by early October, but just 255 accommodation plans were approved.

Some of the agencies that fielded the most exemption requests include the Department of Social and Health Services (1,148), the Department of Transportation (653) and Washington State Patrol (443).

Under an agreement reached last month with the Washington Federation of State Employees, workers whose exemption requests are denied can use up to 45 days of leave to become fully vaccinated in lieu of termination. Those who began the process late may also take leave to complete their immunization series but must do so by Nov. 17.