The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Washington State! Many people have questions about where it’s available, how to get an appointment, and when they’ll be eligible. Here’s what you need to know.
This information is brought to you by Crisis Connections.
Where Can I Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?
The good news is that many public pharmacies are getting the vaccine to increase distribution capacity. The challenge is that it can be very confusing for individuals to know who to call to try to get an appointment. To reduce this confusion, Washington State Department of Health has an easy-to-use vaccine locator tool on their website that can be filtered by county. It also contains information on whether each provider has vaccine appointments available, and a direct link to that site’s online scheduling portal.
You do need to sign up at the provider’s individual site (there isn’t a one-stop clearinghouse for appointments), but at least you can get all the information you need from one place. This vaccine locator tool is the quickest and easiest way to learn about vaccine availability and get information on how to sign up. However, if you don’t have access to internet or a computer you can call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 1-800-525-0127 for information and to get help scheduling an appointment.
Click here to go to the Washington State Vaccine Locator Tool
When Can I Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?
The COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed in phases; priority is given based on age, risk, occupation, and household makeup. Washington State is currently in Phase 1B-Tier 1 of the distribution plan. See the infographic below to learn more about eligible populations. To help determine when you will be eligible for the vaccine, use the Washington State Vaccine Phase Finder.
Specific eligibility for Phases 2, 3, and 4 is not currently available.
