By Michael Gold
transcript
Cuomo Lowers Age Threshold for Vaccine Eligibility to 60
On Tuesday, the governor of New York, Andrew M. Cuomo, announced that starting on Wednesday vaccine eligibility would expand across the state to include anyone over the age of 60 years old.
The supply is increasing, if the supply is increasing, we can then increase our distribution levels. And I’m very pleased to say today that our first level was 65 years old-plus. Right, because Covid affects older people more. So our initial threshold was essential workers, nursing homes, 65-plus. We’re going to drop the 65-year-old-plus to 60-year-old-plus, and that’s going to start tomorrow. So now 60 year old, 60-year-old-plus are going to be available. They can start making appointments tomorrow. They can make them at the mass vaccination sites. They can make them at pharmacies. But that will start 8 a.m. tomorrow, 60-plus. That means people like, as old as I am now, will be available — eligible for the vaccine.
New York will lower its age threshold for Covid-19 vaccine eligibility beginning on Wednesday, allowing anyone older than 60 to be inoculated, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Tuesday.
“That means people, like as old as I am, will now be eligible for the vaccine,” Mr. Cuomo, 63, said at an appearance in Syracuse.
The state will also expand its eligibility requirement the following week to open vaccination to a large number of public-facing workers, including government employees, nonprofit workers and essential building services workers. Those people can begin to get vaccinated on March 17.
New York will join a handful of other U.S. states that allow vaccinations for all people over 60; the majority have set their age eligibility requirement at 65 years old.
Who Is Eligible for Vaccines in Each State
Every state has started widely vaccinating older adults, though with different minimum ages. As of Monday, teachers and childcare workers have access to vaccines in all states. See more »
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