California to Expand Vaccine Eligibility to Anyone Over 16 on April 15
Starting April 1, all Californians over 50 will be eligible to make a COVID vaccine appointment. All individuals over 16 will be eligible on April 15
California is expecting supply to considerably ramp up in April, from a current weekly allocation of about 1.8 million doses to 3 million doses by the end of next month
In San Francisco, 41% of residents over 16 have received at least one dose, and the City has the capacity to administer up to 20,000 shots per day according to officials
With vaccine supply expected to increase, California announced on Thursday that starting April 1, all individuals over age 50 will be eligible to receive a COVID vaccine. On April 15, all individuals over age 16 will be eligible.
California is expecting to receive roughly 2.5 million total doses per week in the first half of April, followed by more than 3 million doses per week in the second half of the month. That's a substantial jump compared to the state's current allocation of about 1.8 million doses per week.
"This is possible thanks to the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration and the countless public health officials across the state who have stepped up to get shots into arms,” said Governor Gavin Newsom in a statement.
The adjusted timeline means that California is outpacing a recently announced directive by the White House, which told states to expand eligibility to all individuals by May 1.
In San Francisco, 41% of residents over 16 have received at least one dose of a vaccine, along with 80% of residents over 65, according to the most recent data. At a press conference earlier this week, San Francisco health director Dr. Grant Colfax said that the City is prepared to rapidly ramp up vaccinations as soon as supply is available.
"We've gone from our goal of having the capacity to give 10,000 vaccines per day to up to 20,000 vaccines into arms per day. If I could get those vaccines right now, we're ready," said Colfax.
On Tuesday, San Francisco was placed into the state's "orange" risk tier, making it possible to reopen nonessential offices at limited capacity along with an expansion of other indoor and outdoor activities.
If current trends continue, San Francisco could advance to the less restrictive yellow tier within weeks, according to City officials.
