In December, all states began vaccinating only health care workers and residents and staffers of nursing homes in phase 1A, but since the new year began some states have also started giving shots to — or booking appointments for — certain categories of seniors and essential workers. As the states start to widen the eligibility for who can get a COVID-19 vaccine, health officials are often taking people's word that they qualify, thereby prioritizing efficiency over strict adherence to their own distribution plans. "We are doing everything possible to vaccinate only those 'in phase,' but we won't turn away someone who has scheduled their vaccine appointment and tells us that they are in phase if they do not have proof or ID," says Bill Christian, spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Health. Among the states pivoting to vaccinating seniors, timelines and strategies vary. Tennessee started offering shots to people 75 and older on Jan. 1. So Frank Bargatze of Murfreesboro, Tenn.,