California will open COVID-19 vaccine access to all residents age 16 and up on April 15 based on expected increases in the supply of vaccine doses, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
Vaccine doses will first become available statewide to residents age 50 and over on April 1, with eligibility opening for all residents 16 and up two weeks later.
According to Newsom’s office, the state expects to receive 2.5 million first and second vaccine doses per week in the first half of April. That will increase to 3 million doses per week in the second half of the month.
Newsom credited President Joe Biden’s administration for the exponential rise in vaccine supply that has already enabled some states like Texas and Arizona to open vaccine access to all adults.
“With vaccine supply increasing and by expanding eligibility to more Californians, the light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter,” Newsom said in a statement. “We remain focused on equity as we extend vaccine eligibility to those older than 50 starting April 1, and those older than 16 starting April 15.”
Newsom and state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly cautioned that it will still take several months to vaccinate all residents to want to receive a dose.
The state will also continue to reserve 40 percent of the weekly vaccine shipments sent to local health departments and health care providers for the ZIP codes that have been hardest-hit by the pandemic.
“It will take time to vaccinate all eligible Californians. During this time, we must not let our guard down,” Ghaly said. “It is important that we remain vigilant, continue to wear masks and follow public health guidance.”
The state has already made vaccine doses available to all state residents age 65 and older, those with high-risk medical conditions, health care workers, nursing home residents and workers and those working in essential sectors like educations, law enforcement and food and agriculture.
The state’s guidance does not, however, ensure that all 58 of the state’s counties will immediately have enough vaccine doses to accommodate all residents 16 and older by April 15.
Meanwhile, Contra Costa and Solano counties have announced over the last two weeks that they would make vaccine doses available to all residents ages 50 and up.
California residents can contact their local health department for information on how to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine when they become eligible.
Residents can also use the state’s My Turn vaccine notification and scheduling tool to sign up for a vaccination appointment when they are eligible.
Seems more appropriate to make it April 1st!
Tax Day Vax Day.
Tax day is May 17th this year for both the IRS and California state taxes.
@JRocks, FYI Tax Day has been moved to May 17th (should have been June like last year).
Everyone knows that Tax day is always April 15th, doesn’t matter if it was extended last year and this year.
The Comment Stands.
Tax day generally falls on April 15 unless it falls on a weekend,or holiday, or because of special circumstances.
It appears Newsome was told to lay low in the media for a while by his political consultants recently due to his up and coming recall election. That has suddenly changed to take undeserved credit for California finally getting some more vaccines to the masses after more than a year to prepare for this.
California hovers around the low 40’s in the states vaccine efforts! He thinks as things improve, us minions will forget his complete and utter failures in the Governors office will improve his chances to be re-elected. Don’t fall for it!
Recall and Replace him with aplomb!
a plomb could do a better job than Newsom’s doing
Newsom’s handlers have launched his “no-recall campaign”. They think it’s just about Trump, the French Laundry, and Covid.
His minions don’t understand a huge component of the recall is Newsom’s incompetence: Releasing dangerous prisoners, lying about the death penalty, ignoring unemployment fraud, bending over for school unions, and signing any backward piece of legislation dreamed up by Weiner/Skinner. With no regard for citizens, he used Covid as an excuse to further his socialist agenda.
Those failures are indefensible.
I don’t really care about the kids in cages, or the COVID HOAX. I’m just glad joe solved poverty. 1400 lousy bucks fixed poverty says joe biden. Is this even real life? Bumbling moron at his first press conference was priceless. SNL could make a full comeback if they dared.
There were other items in the bill to help with poverty. Please read the bill before you make assumptions.