Beginning March 31, Washington state will eliminate Phase Finder, which has been previously required for vaccination appointments to prove eligibility.
Washington state’s online Phase Finder tool, which asks a series of questions to verify if an individual is within an eligible group to receive a vaccine, was implemented in January this year.
Removal of the Phase Finder tool simplifies the process to vaccinations by one less step. Instead, those seeking vaccines are encouraged to check the Washington State Department of Health website to see when they are eligible, then find an appointment nearby using the Vaccine Locator portal at vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov.
The Vaccine Locator is available in 30 languages with seven additional languages to come by the end of April.
Individuals with questions or who need help making an appointment can call the state’s COVID-19 information hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available.
The state’s vaccine phases remain unchanged. Washington currently is in Phase 1B Tier 2. Vaccine eligibility opens to people in Phase 1B Tier 3 and Tier 4 on Wednesday, March 31.
The latest groups to gain eligibility this week include all people ages 60 and older; restaurant, food service, construction and manufacturing workers; and anyone age 16 or older with two or more underlying conditions that place them at higher risk for infection, among others.
The goal is to vaccinate vulnerable community members quickly before opening vaccine eligibility to all adults ages 16 and older in a few weeks, according to the Department of Health. This is in response to President Joe Biden’s direction to make all adults eligible for vaccinations by May 1.
“Removing Phase Finder will help speed up the process by reducing barriers for eligible individuals,” said Michele Roberts, one of the state leaders for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, in a statement. “We trust most people will continue to do the right thing and wait their turn to be vaccinated.”
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