California to open vaccinations up to everyone 16 and older
SANTAANA>> California will start vaccinating anyone 16 and over against the coronavirus starting in three weeks, expanding eligibility to the shots along with a host of other states as a long-awaited boost in vaccine supplies is in sight.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the nation’s most populous state would start vaccinating anyone 50 and over in a week and the population more broadly — except those under 16, for whom vaccines have not yet been authorized — on April 15.
The decision comes as California, which was initially slow to roll out the vaccines but has ramped up inoculations in recent weeks, expects to receive 2.5 million doses a week in the first half of the month and more than 3 million a week in the second, a big jump from the roughly 1.8 million doses a week currently.
“In just a few weeks, there’ll be no rules, no limitations, as it relates to the ability to get a vaccine administered,” Newsom said at a news conference in Orange County. “This state is going to come roaring back.”
The move comes as some California counties have veered away from the state’s eligibility criteria by opening up the shots for people with a broader range of medical conditions than those required in most places, and in some cases, at younger ages. It also comes as governors across the country have expanded eligibility for the vaccine as supplies have increased. Earlier this month, Alaska opened eligibility to any resident over 16. Florida said Thursday it will open eligibility to anyone 18 and over on April 5, while Texas will start inoculating all
adults next week. President Joe Biden’s administration wants all states to make every adult eligible for the vaccine by May 1. Even with the expansion, it will take several months for willing Californians to be vaccinated, state officials said.
Some county officials were eager to vaccinate more people while others said they were concerned there wouldn’t be enough doses to keep up with rising demand. In Southern California’s Riverside County, more appointments have been available recently due to the boost in vaccine supplies. The county opened up 30,000 appointments this week, far more than previously weeks when slots hovered in the low 20,000s, said Jose Arballo, a spokesman for the county’s health agency.
“Any time we can vaccinate more people, that’s a good thing,” Arballo said. “We believe we’ll have the supply needed to handle any increase in eligibility.”
But while Kern County health officials welcomed the expansion, they also urged residents who qualify now to sign up for their shots “as we are unsure what the availability of vaccination appointments will look like once these additional eligibility groups are opened.” Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib
said his county has been told it will get 58,000 doses next week, but the state will begin allowing about 400,000 more people between the ages of 50 and 64 in the county to sign up, in addition to the current backlog.