California opens scarce vaccines to those 65 and older

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is immediately allowing residents 65 and older to get scarce coronavirus vaccines, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

The move puts seniors in line before emergency workers, teachers, child care providers, and food and agriculture workers even as counties complain they already don’t have enough doses to go around.

“There is no higher priority than efficiently and equitably distributing these vaccines as quickly as possible to those who face the gravest consequences,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement. “To those not yet eligible for vaccines, your turn is coming. We are doing everything we can to bring more vaccine into the state.”

While health care workers and those in nursing homes and other congregate living facilities can still be vaccinated, state officials are expanding the program to those 65 and older because they are at the greatest risk of being hospitalized and dying.

A growing list of states that includes Florida, New

York and Oregon are either already offering vaccines to that age group or have announced plans to do so.

In California, virus cases and hospitalizations have exploded since Thanksgiving, although in recent days the numbers have flattened.

“With our hospitals crowded and ICUs full, we need to focus on vaccinating Californians who are at highest risk of becoming hospitalized to alleviate stress on our health care facilities,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health. “Prioritizing individuals age 65 and older will reduce hospitalizations and save lives.”

Mr. Newsom also announced a new system to let people know if they are eligible to receive a vaccine, to start next week.

If residents are not yet eligible, the system will allow them to register for a text or email notification when they are.

Mr. Newsom set a goal last week of delivering 1 million doses by Friday, beyond the roughly 480,000 that had been administered by last week.