Florida Gov. DeSantis to open COVID vaccine eligibility to all adults

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Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that Florida would open COVID vaccine eligibility to all people age 18 and over at the beginning of April. 

The governor said that beginning Monday, Sunshine State residents aged 40 and over will be eligible to get the jab and one week later, on April 5, every adult will be eligible. 

DeSantis said Florida has already vaccinated 70 percent of the state’s 4.4 million seniors. 

"While the Biden administration set a May 1st target date for vaccine eligibility for all adults, Florida is pleased to announce that all adults in the state age 18 and older will be eligible for the vaccine beginning Monday, April 5th," DeSantis said in a news release. 

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More than 5.2 million of Florida’s over 21 million residents had received at least one coronavirus shot as of early Wednesday. About 13.7 percent of the state's population has been fully vaccinated. 

President Biden this month gave states a May 1 deadline to open up vaccine eligibility to all adults, sparking a race among states to expand vaccine access. Texas, Indiana and Georgia residents over age 16 became eligible for the vaccine this week. Alaska, Arizona, Utah and Mississippi already offer shots to those 16 and over. Tennessee will also offer shots for those 16 and older beginning April 5. 

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New York lowered its vaccine eligibility to those over 50 this week. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that all adults would be eligible by the end of April, but the state is currently only vaccinating those over 65 and frontline workers.