The cars line up at the State Farm Stadium’s COVID-19 vaccine site in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo from Facebook / Arizona Department of Health Services)
PHOENIX – Arizona announced another leap in its vaccination schedule on Monday, opening eligibility in two state-run locations for anyone 55 and older.
The reduced age eligibility is an extension of the eligibility group of 65 or older in priority 1B.
The Arizona Department of Health Services is opening 50,000 appointments at State Farm Stadium in Glendale and Phoenix Municipal Stadium at noon on Tuesday for the new group.
Appointments will begin Thursday. Registration is available on the website of the state health department.
“As more vaccines arrive in Arizona, we will continue to refine our plan to maximize the benefits of this still-limited resource,” said Dr. Cara Christ, director of health for the state, in a press release.
“Moving to a hybrid approach will allow us to administer the vaccine quickly and efficiently and provide all Arizonans with a clearer estimate of when they will be eligible to be vaccinated.”
The state also introduced a plan for when counties should start reducing the age required to receive the vaccine in places that are not administered by ADHS.
Local health departments can transition to the next age category when 55% of the current age category has received the vaccine or if they feel there is no longer a demand for vaccines.
The state health department will begin displaying this information on its vaccine panel.
Since the vaccine’s distribution began in December, more than 1.8 million doses have been administered and about 600,000 Arizonans have received both doses.
For statewide availability information, the ADHS website has a vaccine location page with a map of locations and registration information.
The site also has an eligibility verification tool that lets you know if you are authorized to apply for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Check with local health departments for sites that are not administered by the state, because eligibility may vary by county.
Correction: Previous versions of this story incorrectly said that additional essential workers were gaining eligibility.