COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility Opens to All Adults on April 15

By edhat staff

The State of California will expand its COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to everyone over the age of 16 on April 15.

Governor Gavin Newsom made the announcement on Thursday stating he expects the state to receive 2.5 million doses a week in the first half of April and more than 3 million a week in the second half of the month. Currently, the state is receiving about 1.8 million doses per week.

On April 1, all California residents age 50 and up will be eligible to receive the vaccine. On April 15, the eligibility will then be open to all residents age 16 and up.

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department stated this is “exciting news” and is now taking appointments for anyone 50 years of age or older at the Community Vaccination Clinics in Lompoc starting March 28 through April 3.

“We are very excited to expand eligibility to more community members, beginning with the County Public Health Community Vaccination Clinics,” says Van Do-Reynoso, County Public Health Director. “Locally we have seen a promising increase in our vaccine supply and Public Health is ready to welcome community members newly eligible for vaccination.”

All eligible community members can sign up for a vaccine appointment by registering online at the Public Health Website or by calling 2-1-1 and pressing option 4 for assistance. The call center is open 7 days a week from 9a.m. – 5p.m. These clinics will only be administering first-dose Pfizer vaccines at this time.

Newsom pledged to continue targeting underserved communities by working with community partners and health providers to reach essential workers.

As vaccine supplies increase throughout the nation, states have continued to relax guidelines and open up vaccine eligibility. As of March 15, California allowed residents aged 16-64 to receive the vaccine if they are at a higher risk of serious COVID-19 illness. Before that, eligibility was determined by age and specific occupations.

[Ed Note: This article has been updated with new information from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department]