Governor Kay Ivey announced at a press conference Friday morning that individuals age 16 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday, April 5.
She made this announcement at a vaccine clinic in her hometown of Camden, Ala.
“Truly, this vaccine is our ticket back to normal life. We are so close to getting COVID-19 in the rearview, and until then, we should all keep wearing our masks, get vaccinated and use the common sense the good Lord gave us.” Governor Ivey said.
The expansion will create near 4 million eligible individuals in state. The Department of Public Health says that the state receives around 115,000 first doses of the vaccine each week.
The state has currently administered 1,724,463 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Several other states have already expanded vaccine eligibility to those 16 and up including Alabama’s neighboring states of Georgia and Mississippi.
The Pfizer vaccine is available to those to 16 or older while the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are available to those 18 or older.
“I have committed to the people of Alabama that we are on a path forward, and while there is more work to be done, I remain hopeful and optimistic in where we are going. Recent findings from the CDC show preliminary data suggesting that vaccinated individuals do not appear to be spreading the virus, so that is hopeful, underscores the effectiveness of the vaccine and is yet another reason to get the shot,” Governor Ivey said.
