Gale Robinette, a spokesperson for Virginia Mason, said a technical glitch resulted in Baruso and others getting appointments, even though they had told the hospital system they weren't eligible yet. Like Baruso, they may have been confused about why they were offered appointments after checking "other." To be sure, not everyone is cutting the line intentionally. But, in some cases, younger people, and people who work in professions not yet eligible, have received vaccine appointments. Right now in the state, workers in health care settings, nursing home residents and staff, first responders, people 65 or older, and people 50 or older who live in multi-generational homes are eligible for the vaccine. It would really be difficult for every hospital to take it to the nth level to see if somebody really answered every question honestly.
This happens because each provider must come up with its own process for checking eligibility, and most rely on the honor system. The Washington state department of health told us they aren't keeping track of who's eligible and who's not among those vaccinated, but anecdotal evidence suggests ineligible people are getting vaccines at many clinics across the state. "I don't know how that happened."īaruso wasn't the only person who somehow managed to jump the line that day many others told us they didn't fit into one of the state's current eligibility categories. "Then I got an email confirmation," he said. That was the option for people who were not currently eligible but wanted to join the waitlist anyway.
"I hit the 'other' on the form," he said. When asked what made him eligible to get the vaccine, he replied that he actually wasn't. At a recent mass vaccination clinic run by Virginia Mason Health System in Seattle, Steve Baruso, 57, sat in a chair, recovering after getting his shot.
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