Apr 1, 2021 Gov. Jay Inslee today announced that effective April 15, all Washingtonians over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Over the past four months since Washington began administering doses of the vaccination, the state has followed a tiered eligibility system, beginning with those most at risk of hospitalization and death. The governor and the state Department of Health (DOH) have also prioritized equity issues in each phase to ensure vaccine access to populations disproportionately affected by the virus, including communities of color and low-income communities. The expansion of eligibility comes, in part, in response to a recent uptick in COVID cases in the state.