Mississippi is 1 of 5 states that has extended the full capacity of the coronavirus vaccine to anyone 16 and older, and a CNN study finds that there are at least 20 more plans for 16 and older open by the end of April.
McGee, who lives in Columbus, Mississippi, decided not to waste any time last week.
By 7 the next morning, a college student was on the phone with the Mississippi State Department of Health looking to place an order. After some trouble recording on the phone, he said he received an online order for 9:20 am at a driving site throughout Lowndes County.
It took just 20 minutes for McGee to get the vaccine. By 9:40 am, he was one of the youngest people in Mississippi to be vaccinated with a single dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
The Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is authorized in the United States for ages 16 and older, and both the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine are authorized for adults 18 and over that’s all.
Alaska was the first state in the U.S. to stop prioritizing specific groups for Covid-19 vaccines and open vaccine meetings for everyone 16 and older who live or work in the state.
McGee said he was surprised that his state was the second, after Alaska, to open vaccines to anyone 16 and older in the population.
“There are a lot of negative stereotypes about the state, and I think some of that is for a good reason – the state’s access to health care, the state’s level of poverty, its history of racism are all negative things. to this day, “McGee told CNN.” But he deserves to expand this vaccine, I think, as one thing Mississippi can celebrate. ”
Georgia and Texas are the latest states to announce plans to extend coronavirus vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older, announcing Tuesday that they will expand the vaccine by the end of March.
A CNN study of state health departments has found that Covid-19 vaccine eligibility is expected to open to people 16 and older in some states with the following timeline:
- March 25: Georgia
- March 29: Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, North Dakota
- March 31: Indiana
- April 1: Montana
- April 5: Connecticut, Michigan, Tennessee
- April 9: Missouri
- April 12: Illinois
- April 19: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
- April 26: Idaho
- April 27: Maryland
- April, no set date: New Mexico, Virginia, Iowa
- May 1: Wisconsin, Oregon, South Dakota
- May 3: South Carolina
- May or later: California, Nebraska, Kansas, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Delaware
Connecticut and other states have gradually phased out Covid-19 vaccines due to “the limited supply of vaccines relative to demand,” Maura Fitzgerald, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, told CNN in an email Monday.
“We started with frontline health care staff and long-term care facility residents / staff, then moved back through age brackets starting with our 75 year old residents. and older, “Fitzgerald said, adding that only last Friday did the state open vaccines to adults 45 and older and announced that those 16 and older would be eligible for April 5.
“However, with the growing supply of vaccines from the federal government and the efficiency with which our vaccine suppliers are getting armed blows, we have been able to roll them out quickly,” he said. Fitzgerald.
Tom Hudachko, a spokesman for the Utah Department of Health, told CNN in an email Tuesday that when demand begins to decline in priority groups – based on information from vaccine providers regarding the available meetings – then eligibility opened to additional numbers.
“Last week, some of our providers reported that up to 15% of their jobs were available this week, so we made the decision to open eligibility to 16+ , “said Hudachko. “We’re also expecting more provision in the coming weeks, to accommodate that. “
Why there is ‘variability’ in eligibility across states
There is variability in which states offer vaccines to all 16 and older, and which remains a priority for organizations, given state differences in supply and demand.
“There are differences in the way states have opened up their eligibility and some of that has to do with procurement,” Plescia said.
For example, Plescia said that in some areas in the Southeast, demand does not seem to be as strong so some of these southern states may open vaccines to everyone 16 and older. faster than other states in the North East or on the West Coast where demand remains high.
“Some states have wanted to be more precise in reaching a good portion of each group before opening it up to more organizations,” Plescia said.
“So I think in some states they may spend some time doing a little more outreach, say, people over 65 before they open up more widely,” he said. i think there are some states where they opened it and the applications will stay there with that group, but once the application starts slow down – rather than going out and trying to hire more people – they’re just opening it up. “
“In most states, we seem to have the capacity to deliver the vaccine. It’s really just a matter of supply,” Plescia said. “I believe with most states, the answer to Biden’s administrative goal is basically,‘ Okay, get us enough supply where we can meet the needs and we’ll be ready to do it . ‘So I think that’s the ultimate issue of whether we really have – not infinite supply – but greatly increased supply where can you open and know you won’t run out of vaccine. “
Meanwhile, McGee is praising her Mississippi state for opening the vaccine to the public and told CNN that he hopes President Joe Biden hopes all vaccines will be received before 1 May become a reality.
“I think everything is pointing in the right direction,” he said.
‘Provision has guided this whole conversation’
“Provision has led this whole conversation,” Benjamin said.
“The reason for prioritizing in the first place was because we knew there would be short supply at first, and then of course there was a desire to tackle health inequalities – so both of those things, to some extent, the priority position forward, “he said. “At the end of the day, the goal is for everyone to get the vaccine and we should not leave a stone unturned.”
Now with Biden’s goal of opening vaccines to everyone 16 and older by May 1, Benjamin said he expects more states to expand eligibility in the coming days.
“I think you will continue to see states open, trying to get ahead of that date – but it will be entirely dependent on vaccine supply,” he said. Benjamin.