Michigan to Widen Covid-19 Vaccine Entry to Residents 16 and Older
Michigan will extend immunization eligibility to everyone over 50 from March 22 and to everyone over 16 from April 5, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Friday. The announcement came the day after President Biden’s prime-time address instructed states to extend eligibility to all adults by May 1.
“Nearly 1 million Michigans of all races have been safely vaccinated,” Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I urge all eligible Michigan residents to receive one of the three Covid-19 vaccines.”
Currently, everyone in Michigan aged 65 and over is eligible for the vaccination, as are people over 50 with health problems that would increase their risk of serious complications from Covid-19, including obesity, high blood pressure, or diabetes. On March 22nd, all adults with such health problems are eligible.
According to a New York Times database, 19 percent of Michigan residents have received at least one dose of vaccine and 11 percent have been fully vaccinated, which is the pace of the state about the US average.
Earlier this week, Alaska became the first state to open eligibility to anyone aged 16 and over, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced that all adults there would be eligible for the vaccine on April 1.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis said Friday that he was expecting All adults are said to be admitted to his state by mid-April, though he hasn’t set a specific date.
The director of the Arizona Department of Health, Dr. Cara Christ told reporters Friday that the state plans to question vaccines for people 16 and older by May.
A number of other states, including Texas and New York, announced this week that eligibility will be expanded to include new categories.
In Connecticut, the state had already planned to allow people aged 16 and over to have a vaccination appointment starting May 3.
Comments are closed.