A syringe of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is shown Thursday at a drive-up mass vaccination site in Puyallup. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A syringe of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is shown Thursday at a drive-up mass vaccination site in Puyallup. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Vaccine eligibility to expand to more groups on March 22

Included will be workers in agriculture and grocery stores, as well as law enforcement and others.

By Rachel La Corte / Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Workers in agriculture and grocery stores will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting March 22, as will those in law enforcement and others included in the next eligibility phase that focuses on workers in certain congregate settings, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday.

The new eligibility criteria is contingent on the vaccine supply to the state continuing to increase.

Other critical worker groups covered under Phase 1B, Tier 2, are those in food processing, public transit, and firefighters, as well as those working in corrections, prisons, jails or detention centers. People over age 16 who are pregnant or who have a disability that puts them at high risk have also been added to those eligible for vaccination at that time.

Under the original eligibility requirements, the groups in the next tier for critical workers needed to be 50 or older and high risk, but that language was removed under the revised timeline announced Thursday.

The announcement of a specific date for the next group eligible for the vaccine comes the same week that, following a directive from President Joe Biden, educators, school staff and licensed childcare workers in the state were added to the current tier of vaccine eligibility that includes those age 65 and up and those 50 and older who live in multigenerational households.

In December, the state started vaccinating health care workers, high-risk first responders and people living or working in nursing homes. The current tier that includes 65 and older — and now includes teachers — started in January.

The governor said that people who are 50 or older with two or more underlying conditions — such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes — will become eligible for vaccination on April 12. And on April 26, people 16 or older with two underlying conditions will be eligible, as will people living in congregate settings, including correctional facilities, group homes for people with disabilities and those experiencing homelessness who live in or access services in congregate settings.

The governor’s office said the dates are all tentative, and that expanding eligibility will depend on supply and progress made in vaccinating earlier groups.

More than 1.7 million doses of the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been administered to date, and over 8% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated. The recently authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will start arriving in the state this week, only requires one shot. The state has nearly reached its goal of 45,000 vaccinations a day, with a current 7-day average of 43,765.

“I am thrilled at the progress that our federal government is making in combination with these manufacturers to increase supplies,” Inslee said. “We believe these steps are going to make this vaccine much more available for Washingtonians.”

The U.S. has recorded more than 28.7 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 518,000 deaths. There have been more than 323,000 cases in Washington state, and 5,012 deaths.

At a news conference earlier in the day, Department of Health Secretary Umair Shah said that while the number of daily cases are dropping and hospitalizations have flattened, health officials continue to be concerned about increased detection of the highly contagious variants of the virus in the state.

“It is not the time to let our guard down,” he said.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Northwest

Alaska Airlines aircraft sit in the airline's hangar at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in SeaTac, Wash. Boeing has acknowledged in a letter to Congress that it cannot find records for work done on a door panel that blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon two months ago. Ziad Ojakli, Boeing executive vice president and chief government lobbyist, wrote to Sen. Maria Cantwell on Friday, March 8 saying, “We have looked extensively and have not found any such documentation.” (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
FBI tells passengers on 737 flight they might be crime victims

Passengers received letters this week from a victim specialist from the federal agency’s Seattle office.

Skylar Meade (left) and Nicholas Umphenour.
Idaho prison gang member and accomplice caught after ambush

Pair may have killed 2 while on the run, police say. Three police officers were hospitalized with gunshot wounds after the attack at a Boise hospital.

Barbara Peraza-Garcia holds her 2-year-old daughter, Frailys, while her partner Franklin Peraza sits on their bed in their 'micro apartment' in Seattle on Monday, March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)
Micro-apartments are back after nearly a century, as need for affordable housing soars

Boarding houses that rented single rooms to low-income, blue-collar or temporary workers were prevalent across the U.S. in the early 1900s.

Teen blamed for crash that kills woman, 3 children in Renton

Four people were hospitalized, including three with life-threatening injuries. The teenage driver said to be at fault is under guard at a hospital.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee proposed his final state budget on Tuesday. It calls for a new wealth tax, an increase in business taxes, along with some programs and a closure of a women’s prison. The plan will be a starting point for state lawmakers in the 2025 legislative session. (Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard)
Inslee proposes taxing the wealthy and businesses to close budget gap

His final spending plan calls for raising about $13 billion over four years from additional taxes. Republicans decry the approach.

The Snohomish County Jail is pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
First bills drop ahead of WA’s 2025 legislative session

Permanent standard time, immigration policies and fentanyl penalties were among the proposals pre-filed Monday.

Teslas charging in Victorville, Calif., on March 11. Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and one of President-elect Donald Trump’s biggest supporters, has said the government should eliminate all subsidies for electric vehicles. (Lauren Justice / The New York Times)
Once a must for wealthy Seattle-area liberals, Teslas feel Elon backlash

For many, Tesla has changed from a brand associated with climate action and innovation to something “much more divisive.”

The livery on a Boeing plane. (Christopher Pike / Bloomberg)
Boeing’s new CEO clips corporate jet trips in show of restraint

It’s one of several moves by Kelly Ortberg in recent months to permanently shrink Boeing’s costs.

Dorian Cerda, who was aboard a plane that caught fire over the Gulf of Mexico, in Lake Placid, Fla., on Sunday. Extreme turbulence, a blown-out door, an engine on fire: For passengers and crew members who have experienced in-air emergencies, the pain endures. (Saul Martinez / The New York Times)
‘Everyone thought we were going to die’: Life after flight trauma

After the midair Alaska Airlines blowout earlier this year, Shandy Brewer has had recurring nightmares. She’s not alone.

Snohomish County Superior Courthouse in Everett, Washington on February 8, 2022.  (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
WA court system outage means firearm sales on hold

Buyers must wait until the Washington State Patrol can access databases for background checks.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks at the Snohomish & Island County Labor Council champions dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Ferguson, WA Democrats prepare for new era of showdowns with Trump

Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and Attorney General-elect Nick Brown are readying their legal teams.

From left to right, Dave Larson and Sal Mungia.
WA Supreme Court race is incredibly close

Just 0.05% separated Sal Mungia and Dave Larson on Tuesday. More votes will come Wednesday.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.