.@WADeptHealth said today that they're removing PhaseFinder from the process of getting a vaccine. They said that's because the state’s priority now is vaccinating as many vulnerable people as possible before May 1st. Which begs the question...
What was the dept's priority before, if not vaccinating as many vulnerable people as quickly as possible? Or was that always the goal, and this change is a tacit admission that PhaseFinder got in the way of it?
(May 1 is when everyone in WA who's 16+ years old will become eligible for a Covid vaccine, hence the deadline/perhaps newfound urgency.)
PhaseFinder's an online tool that helps users find out if they're eligible for a Covid vaccine. Lots of vaccine providers made people show a printout or screenshot of their PhaseFinder results before getting a shot. Others didn't require that. form.findyourphasewa.org/210118771253954
DOH at one point said they were going to translate PhaseFinder into lots of languages, but they never got beyond English and Spanish. And the Spanish translation was...not good.
The DOH email announcing the policy change said the dept also hopes removing Phase Finder from the vaccine process will remove a technological hurdle for those who don’t have access to a printer, or the technical know-how to grab a screenshot.
By the way, this was all in an obscure email sent to vaccine providers — clinics and hospitals and such that deliver vaccines. The email said the department's still working on guidance to "help providers communicate about this transition."
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