Washington rolls out tool to determine eligibility for coronavirus vaccine

OLYMPIA — A broader rollout of a web tool that Washington residents can use to determine whether they are eligible for coronavirus vaccination under state guidelines will begin Wednesday after an initial pilot phase.

Washington Department of Health’s PhaseFinder tool surveys residents on a number of key criteria, including their age, co-morbidities and whether they work in a critical field, such as in health care or as first responders.

After inputting that information, which is not associated with an individual’s name, residents will be informed whether they qualify under state guidelines to be vaccinated.

If they do not qualify, residents are able to provide contact information so they can be notified when it is their turn for the vaccine. If they do qualify, residents are prompted to provide a screenshot showing they were determined to be eligible, which they can show to their local vaccine provider.

Before Wednesday, the tool worked only to inform people if they were currently eligible for vaccination. After the official rollout, however, the tool will determine which phase of the state’s vaccine plan a resident has to wait for before receiving the shot.

According to a presentation from the DOH, the PhaseFinder is “trust-based.”

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.