upper waypoint

Biden Moving Up Vaccine Eligibility for All Adults to April 19

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

President Biden will announce Tuesday that he is shaving about two weeks off his May 1 deadline for states to expand coronavirus eligibility to all adults.

With states gradually expanding eligibility beyond such priority groups as older people and essential, front-line workers, the president plans to announce that every adult in the U.S. will be eligible by April 19 to be vaccinated, a White House official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Biden’s plans before the formal announcement. Biden was scheduled to make the announcement during his visit to COVID-19 vaccination site in Virginia.

April 19 is about two weeks earlier than Biden’s original May 1 deadline.

California has already announced it will open eligibility to anyone over the age of 16 on April 15 all Californians above 50 qualify for a vaccination since April 1. Some counties in the Bay Area, like Contra Costa, are ahead of both state and federal deadlines and already permit all adults to be vaccinated.

Sponsored

Biden is also expected to announce that 150 million doses have been put into people’s arms since his inauguration on Jan. 20. That puts the president well on track to meet his new goal of 200 million shots administered by April 30 — his 100th day in office.

Biden’s original goal had been 100 million shots in arms by the end of his first 100 days.

The announcement about vaccine eligibility is somewhat symbolic and comes as states already were moving up their deadlines from the original May 1 goal. It also comes as a flood of vaccine supply is being sent to states this week.

The president had announced just last week that 90% of adults would be eligible for one of three approved COVID-19 vaccines by April 19, in addition to having a vaccination site within 5 miles of their home.

Read the full story here.

Associated Press

lower waypoint
next waypoint