Michigan will expand the vaccine’s eligibility to everyone aged 50 and over starting March 22, and to everyone aged 16 and over starting April 5, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Friday. The announcement came a day after President Biden’s prime-time speech, in which he instructed states to expand eligibility for all adults by May 1.
“Nearly 1 million michiganders of all races have already been safely vaccinated,” said Whitmer, a Democrat, in a statement. “I urge all Michiganders eligible to obtain one of the three Covid-19 vaccines.”
Currently, everyone in Michigan aged 65 and over is eligible for vaccination, as are people over 50 with health problems that would increase the risk of serious complications caused by Covid-19, including obesity, hypertension or diabetes. On March 22, all adults with these health conditions will also be eligible.
According to a New York Times database, 19 percent of Michiganders received at least one dose of the vaccine and 11 percent were fully vaccinated, putting the state’s pace at roughly the US average.
Earlier this week, Alaska became the first state to open eligibility for everyone aged 16 and over, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced that all adults would be eligible for the vaccine there on April 1.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis said on Friday that he hoped all adults would be eligible in his state by mid-April, although he has not set a specific date.
Arizona Department of Health Services director Dr. Cara Christ told reporters on Friday that the state planned to make vaccines eligible for anyone aged 16 and over by May.
Several other states, including Texas and New York, announced eligibility expansions for new categories this week.
In Connecticut, the state had already planned to allow people aged 16 and over to schedule a vaccination appointment starting May 3.