All Veterans To Be Eligible For Covid Vaccines Via Upcoming Law
President Joe Biden is expected to sign a new measure to ensure all veterans, their spouses and caregivers will be eligible to get covid vaccines as soon as availability allows. Elsewhere, California, Maryland and Tennessee are about to dramatically expand vaccine eligibility.
Axios:
All Veterans, Their Spouses, Caregivers Will Be Eligible To Get COVID-19 Vaccines
Veterans, their spouses and caregivers will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through the Department of Veterans Affairs as soon as doses are available, according to newly finalized legislation. The VA has counted more than 11,000 deaths and recorded more than 223,500 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the medical system. (Chen, 3/19)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Poised To Make Vaccines Available To All By Last Week Of April, Newsom Says
California is poised to make coronavirus vaccines available to all residents 16 and older by the last week of April, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday, a move that would eliminate the tiered system that currently only grants vaccine eligibility to seniors, some essential workers and younger people with disabilities or underlying medical conditions. “We’re anticipating within five-and-a-half weeks ... we can eliminate all the tiering, so to speak, and make available the vaccines to everybody across the spectrum because the supply will exponentially increase,” Newsom said during a news conference in San Francisco. (Ho and Williams, 3/19)
The Baltimore Sun:
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Is Expanding COVID Vaccine Eligibility Starting Next Week. Here’s What You Need To Know.
In the coming weeks, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday, vaccine eligibility will open up to all adults in the state. Maryland will expand vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 or older “no later than April 27,” Hogan said at an afternoon news conference at the State House in Annapolis. In the meantime, the governor said, the state will expand eligibility in “waves” that accommodate risk factors such as age, occupation and underlying health conditions. (Oxenden, 3/19)
AP:
Tennessee To Expand Vaccine Eligibility
Tennessee health officials on Monday are expected to expand eligibility to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. “As Tennessee continues working to protect those most at risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 and provide vaccinations as quickly as possible, counties may progress through each of the phases as vaccine supply allows,” said Bill Christian, spokesperson for the Department of Health, in an email. (3/22)
Health News Florida:
DeSantis Lowers COVID Vaccine Eligibility Age To 50 And Older
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Florida will lower the coronavirus vaccination age eligibility to 50 effective Monday. "I'm going to sign an executive order this morning," he said Friday at a news conference in Tallahassee. On Monday, residents age 60 were added to the eligibility pool. Florida has also expanded eligibility to include first-responders, health care workers, school staff and people whose doctors say they are medically vulnerable. (3/19)
WMFE:
Orange County Will Offer Vaccines To People 40 And Older Starting Monday
Mayor Jerry Demings says Orange County will begin vaccinating people age 40 and older starting Monday at the county Convention Center. It's unknown at this time if other counties will follow suit. Demings says the decision came after consulting with nearby Lake, Osceola and Seminole counties and representatives of the White House and the state. (Prieur, 3/19)
In other rollout news from the states —
ABC News:
California Among Worst In Getting Vaccines To Vulnerable Populations, CDC Report Finds
About a quarter of California's population has received one shot of the coronavirus vaccine so far, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, most of the shots so far appear to have gone to populations that are less vulnerable than others. State health officials say they are working to improve those numbers. The CDC issued a report last week that measured county's vaccine rollouts with regards to "social vulnerability." The vulnerability index included several factors including race, education, poverty level and housing, which the agency noted has also been linked to higher coronavirus rates. (Pereira, 3/21)
WUSF Public Media:
Military Personnel Delivering COVID-19 Vaccines At FEMA Sites
As states try to ramp up vaccinations for COVID-19 and expand eligibility, some, including Florida, have asked for federal help. In response, FEMA has tapped the military for the mission. Inside a large white tent at the Tampa Greyhound Track, Air Force medical technician Linzie Avalos stood at a folding table in her camo uniform and boots prepping some needles for the crowds of people lined up to get their shots. (Colombini, 3/21)
KHN:
In America, Covid Vaccine Eligibility Is A ‘Crazy Quilt’ Of State Rules
In North Carolina, the nation’s leading tobacco producer, any adult who has smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime can now be vaccinated against covid. In Florida, people under 50 with underlying health conditions can get vaccinated only if they have written permission from their doctor. In Mississippi, more than 30,000 covid vaccine appointments were open Friday — days after the state became the first in the contiguous United States to make the shots available to all adults. (Galewitz, 3/22)
