Vaccine available to all AV residents

Antelope Valley residents are getting more opportunities to get the COVID-19 vaccine, if they wish to do so.

Last week, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris announced eligibility requirements for the vaccine would be dropped earlier than the April 16 date given by the County of Los Angeles, for all residents to be able to get inoculated.

In an effort to get more shots in arms, Parris announced that an additional vaccine site would be opened at the Antelope Valley Fair Grounds. The new site is a joint effort between the city and the High Desert Medical Group.

All Antelope Valley residents age 18 and over can make an appointment.

The vaccine is free to any adult who wants to get it and health insurance and proof of citizenship are not required.

This is a huge step in the right direction. The ultimate goal is to get as many people as possible, vaccinated, so we can get a hold on the virus that’s been wreaking havoc on our communities and nation for the past year.

“After months of pushing and fighting for our fair share of the vaccines, the time is now,” Parris said in an Antelope Valley Press story published in the Sunday edition. “There are no more excuses. We have opened vaccines to everyone over the age of 18 and are actively working to vaccinate our 16-17 year olds. We can finally start to move past this nightmare.”

He’s right in calling it a nightmare. Probably just about everyone has been affected by the pandemic in one way or another — whether it was the loss of a loved one who contracted it or the loss of a job because of the economy shutting down, there are probably very few people who can say they felt no effects of what’s been happening the past year.

We are glad to hear that everyone will now be able to get the vaccine and we hope they do. It seems this is the only way we can get back to what we know as “normal.”