Vaccine Rollout Advances: Phase 1B2 Begins Wednesday

WASHINGTON — Starting Wednesday a half dozen more groups will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington state, largely high-risk essential employees who work in congregate settings.

It's Phase 1B2 of the Washington State Department of Health's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans, and it includes:

• High-risk critical workers in agriculture, grocery stores and food banks, public transit, fishing vessel crews, corrections facilities like jails and detention centers, courts of law, and the remaining first responders including firefighters and police officers.
• Anyone 16 and older who is either pregnant or has a disability that puts them at risk of severe illness.

All previously-eligible groups remain eligible for the vaccine as well, though health leaders encourage those groups to get vaccinated quickly to avoid waiting in long lines as more people start seeking doses.

Because, while more people will become eligible Wednesday, it doesn't necessarily mean there will be vaccines waiting for them. Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County's public health officer, says his county will need a significant boost in vaccine supply to keep pace with the expansion.

"We anticipate in King County, as vaccine eligibility expands, the gap between supply and demand will increase," Duchin said. "There will be hundreds of thousands of new King County residents becoming eligible before corresponding increases in vaccine become available. It may take several weeks before those who are newly eligible for vaccine are able to access it. When that supply of doses does increase — and we know it will — we have the capacity to distribute vaccines on a much larger scale."

Phase 1B2 comes slightly earlier than initially promised. Near the start of the month, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the state expected Phase 1B2 to begin March 22. That was later adjusted to March 17. Instead, March 22 will see all of Washington entering Phase 3 of the governor's Roadmap to Recovery plan.

Phase 3 allows the return of sporting events and large, outdoor venues. Restaurants, gyms, fitness centers, and movie theaters will also be allowed to return to 50 percent capacity.

Entering vaccination Phase 1B2 so soon before the state enters Phase 3 gives eligible essential workers just 5 days to get vaccinated before many will be asked to go back to work. Phase 1B2 also omits hospitality workers, a source of frustration for some, as Crosscut reports.

"The state’s vaccination program has a glaring hole without hospitality workers — 40% of whom are Black, Indigenous and people of color — included in the next phase," said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association in a statement to Crosscut.

Related: Inmate Advocates Ask Inslee To Prioritize Vaccinations In Prisons

Following Phase 1B2 is Phase 1B3, which is divided into two tiers of its own.

As of the last update from the Governor's Office, the first half of Phase 1B3 is expected to begin April 12. It will make anyone 50+ with two or more comorbidities eligible for vaccination. On April 26 that will expand to include anyone 16+ with two or more comorbidities, and anyone living in congregate settings, including people experiencing homelessness who live in or access services in shelters.

Comorbidities recognized by the CDC include cancer, chronic lung disease, heart conditions and type two diabetes, among others.

As of the latest update to the Washington State Department of Health's COVID-19 Data Dashboard, health care providers administered an average of 42,551 vaccines each day for the week ending Saturday — shy of the state's goal of administering 45,000 doses per day. As of Saturday there have also been 2,721,040 COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered to Washington healthcare providers, of which 84.01%, or 2,442,269 doses, have been administered.