California to Expand Vaccine Eligibility to Ages 16 and Up on April 15

Antonio Ferme
·2 min read
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that the state will extend COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to everyone ages 16 and older on April 15.

During a press conference on Thursday, Newsom also said citizens ages 50 and older will be able to get the vaccine on April 1. Additionally, if someone getting a vaccine goes in with a family member, the family member will be able to get a vaccine too.

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“We are even closer to putting this pandemic behind us with today’s announcement and with vaccine supplies expected to increase dramatically in the months ahead,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said of the expansion.

While the vaccine supply is slowly increasing, it is set to sharply increase next month. Newsom said that California expects to receive 2.5 million doses a week in the first half of April and more than 3 million a week in the second half of the month. Currently, the state is getting about 1.8 million doses a week. California just received 180,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines that had not been anticipated.

“Beginning April 1, we are expanding #COVID19 vaccine eligibility,” the governor announced on Twitter Thursday. “Supply continues to increase thanks to the leadership of @POTUS. With more than 15 million shots in arms, the light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter.”

While the state is expanding vaccine eligibility, Newsom said that California will continue to prioritize underserved communities by working with labor groups to reach essential workers. Additionally, they will let health providers target vaccinations by zip code.

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