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Can you get the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington? Tool determines eligibility

PhaseFinder allows users to complete a survey that determines when they will be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The tool will officially roll out after Jan. 6.

SPOKANE, Wash. — When will you be able to get vaccinated in Washington for coronavirus? The state has released an online tool to sign up to be notified when it’s your turn.

The PhaseFinder tool allows people to input personal details like age, location and if they work in health care, as well as contact information. Using this information, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will determine vaccine eligibility and notify residents by email or text message when it’s their turn. 

Contact information will remain private and will not be used for other purposes.

Right now, the tool is only able to identify people eligible in Phase 1A of distribution, but a more robust version of the tool is expected to be released Jan. 18. This broader rollout is expected to help connect eligible people looking to get vaccinated with providers.

Users could also use the survey to prove they're eligible when going to get the vaccine, according to a previous presentation from the DOH. The website could also link people looking to get vaccinated with providers after a broader rollout. 

Vaccine timeline

DOH unveiled the next steps in their vaccine distribution plan on Jan. 6. Washington hasn't moved on to Phase 1B yet and is expected to remain in Phase 1A for "the next few weeks," according to state health officials.

Here’s where things stand for the Phase 1 rollout:

December 2020

Phase 1, tiers A1 and A2

  • High-risk health care workers in health care settings
  • High-risk first responders
  • Long-term care residents
  • At-risk workers in health care settings

January 2021

Phase 1, tier B1

  • People age 70 or older
  • People age 50 or older living in multi-generational households.

February 2021

Phase 1, tier B2

  • High-risk critical workers age 50 or older in congregate settings, including grocery stores, correctional facilities, public transit, schools, agriculture, etc.

RELATED: Washington outlines plans for vaccinating teachers

March 2021

Phase 1, tier B3

  • People age 16 or older with two or more underlying health conditions.

April 2021

Phase 1, tier B4

  • High-risk critical workers in congregate settings – like Tier 2 – under age 50
  • Staff and volunteers of all ages in congregate living facilities, correctional facilities, group homes or those who work with the homeless in congregate settings

May – December 2021

Phases 2, 3 and 4

The state hasn’t released specific information about who is eligible during this timeframe. DOH says that information is “coming soon.”

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