All Washington adults eligible for COVID‑19 vaccine beginning April 15

All Washington residents over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive the COVID‑19 vaccine beginning April 15, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday.

The news comes as WSU leaders are encouraging faculty, staff and students to remain vigilant in combating the spread of infections.

“Getting vaccinated as soon as possible is more important than ever,” WSU President Kirk Schulz wrote in an email to Pullman employees Wednesday.

The easiest way to find a place where vaccine appointments can be made is by visiting Vaccine Locator. Simply entering a Zip code yields a list of sites within 50 miles. The site also has a detailed explanation of who is currently eligible to receive the vaccine.

Being vaccinated protects the individual as well as everyone who comes into contact with them, Amy Miller, a physician assistant with Cougar Health Services, said.

“It’s very easy for someone who is healthy and outside of high-risk groups to question whether they should get the vaccine,” Miller said. “What they might not realize is that there are peers or people in the community that they come into contact with who can become severely ill, so we need to work towards protecting everyone around us, including our families and community.”

WSU’s COVID‑19 vaccine guidelines have recently been updated and can be found on its COVID‑19 website.