Alaska on Tuesday expanded an already extensive list of people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in the state to include anyone aged 16 and over who lives or works in the state.
State officials announced the move ahead of a live interview with Governor Mike Dunleavy scheduled for 5 pm Tuesday.
The change in eligibility makes Alaska the first U.S. state to remove eligibility requirements for the COVID-19 vaccine, state officials said in a statement.
The move comes just a week after the state opened vaccines for anyone aged 16 and over who has a condition that puts them at risk for serious COVID-19 disease or who works on an essential job (which is broadly defined) ), as well as all Alaskans over the age of 55. Educators, health professionals, the elderly and others in the state were already eligible under previous guidelines.
Several tribal health organizations, using separate dose allocation through the Indian Health Service, were already vaccinating people aged 16 and over in many communities across the state.
So far, Alaska has vaccinated a larger percentage of its population than any other state. As of Tuesday, a quarter of its total population was at least partially vaccinated, compared to a national average of around 18%.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.