All California adults eligible for COVID shot next month
Residents 50 and over will be eligible April 1, followed by 16 and older on April 15
LOS ANGELES — California is dramatically expanding the eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines, offering the shots to virtually all residents 16 and over beginning next month, the state announced Thursday.
Residents who are at least 50 years old can get vaccines starting April 1, and all Californians 16 and up will be eligible starting April 15.
State officials said the dramatic move is based on expected increases in vaccine supply.
“There’s not just light at the end of the tunnel; there’s bright light at the end of the tunnel,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference in Santa Ana.
Among those who will become eligible starting next Thursday is Newsom himself.
“I look forward to getting the best shot — and the best vaccine is the next one available,” Newsom, 53, said.
California’s move to universal adult eligibility would come about two weeks before the May 1 target set by the Biden administration. A growing number of states, including Alaska, West Virginia
and Mississippi, have previously expanded eligibility to residents 16 and older.
As has been the case throughout the rollout, eligibility does not guarantee immediate access to an appointment.
The timing of scheduling appointments also remains somewhat of an open question. The California Department of Public Health said Thursday that residents could go through their doctor’s office to begin booking their shots, so long as the actual appointments are on or after the day they become eligible, April 1 or 15. Depending on their eligibility, residents will be able to reserve an appointment through the state’s My Turn scheduling site on April 1, April 15 or later.
Dr. Nancy Gin, regional medical director of quality and clinical analysis with Kaiser Permanente, said the network also is not able to “pre-schedule appointments in advance of these eligibility dates.”
“We encourage all who are eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” Gin said. “Until most of the community is vaccinated, everyone should continue to maintain healthy behaviors, including wearing a mask, washing hands often and avoiding crowds, even after vaccination, to help ensure we are not spreading the virus.”
When asked why he feels comfortable with widely opening the door for inoculations, Newsom’s answer was simple: “Abundance.”
He said the state had received promising guidance regarding the forthcoming supply of vaccines — including doses of Johnson & Johnson, which requires a single shot.
The two other vaccines being used in the U.S., one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Moderna, entail two doses, administered three and four weeks apart, respectively.