Texas and five other states are expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults on Monday as many places remain on track to easily beat President Biden’s goal of making the shots widely available to those 18 and older by May 1.
“Everyone now qualifies for a shot. They are highly recommended to prevent getting Covid but always voluntary,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, tweeted overnight.
Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma are also opening up eligibility. Minnesota is opening the gates Tuesday, followed by Indiana and South Carolina on Wednesday.
White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients says about half of all states will have expanded eligibility to all adults by mid-April, and 46 states and D.C. have outlined a path to full eligibility before Mr. Biden’s start-of-May deadline.
Mr. Biden plans to address the state of vaccinations from the White House later Monday, as the challenge gradually shifts from getting enough supply to scheduling appointments for those who want the vaccine — and then convincing holdouts to come forward.
Over a quarter of the U.S. population has received at least one shot of the two-dose versions from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna or the one-dose version from Johnson & Johnson.
The campaign is at a key crossroads. Case counts are ticking up again despite the campaign, as states loosen restrictions, people get lax about safeguard and fast-moving variants take over.
“Based on what I’m hearing that apparently people are letting their guard down, but I’m having a meeting with the team tomorrow and I’ll get a better sense,” Mr. Biden said Sunday from Delaware.
