Vaccine eligibility expands to include New Yorkers 50 and up
Dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Michael Appleton / Mayoral Photography Office
New Yorkers aged 50 and older are now eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines, thanks to an expected increase in vaccine supply, the New York Post reports.
The categories for vaccine eligibility have steadily expanded in recent weeks, as public-facing workers at nonprofits and others became newly eligible starting last week. That previous expansion already made about 80% of the state’s adult population qualify for the doses.
New York is set to begin receiving 1.65 million doses of the vaccine each week by the end of April, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday, a 33% increase from the amount the state currently is receiving. That boost has contributed to the latest decision to open up vaccination access to a wider audience.
As of Monday morning, 26.1% of New Yorkers statewide have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 13.4% have taken all the needed doses. Racial disparities persist in the state’s vaccination efforts, however. While Black New Yorkers account for 17.3% of the population, they make up only 9.9% of those who have been vaccinated. Meanwhile, white residents have made up 77.5% of New Yorkers who have been vaccinated despite composing 70.4% of the population.