COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to expand in Iowa
All residents can get shot starting April 5
Share
Tweet
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Joyce Tewes immunizes James Nelson with his first COVID-19 vaccination last month during a clinic in Clay County.
Every adult Iowan who wants a COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible to receive one starting April 5.
Gov. Kim Reynolds made the announcement March 17 during her weekly news conference. The governor noted the White House believes vaccine shipments to Iowa will double from about 100,000 per week to about 200,000 per week soon, which prompted the eligibility expansion.
Currently, those age 65 and older, individuals in certain occupations, and people 64 and under with pre-existing medical conditions are eligible to receive the vaccine.
"I feel very confident in saying that in the last couple of weeks more and more people have commented that it feels like we turned the corner and I believe Iowa's recovery is in a strong position." Reynolds said. "Now that our national vaccine supply is projected to significantly increase in the next two weeks, and Iowans have demonstrated our ability to work together and ensure vaccine is administered efficiently and responsibly, I'm confident that we're prepared to open up even more."
President Joe Biden said he wants all Americans to be eligible for the vaccine May 1. The governor said eligibility will expand "as long as the vaccine allocation increases as we've been told that we are expecting."
"Getting vaccinated is the most important thing that each of us can do to ensure that our state's recovery from COVID-19 is strong and sustainable," she said.
So far, a total of 504,898 vaccine series have been completed in Iowa. That total includes completed doses of the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as well as the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
"We all want life to get back to normal, for our businesses to rebound, for our high school seniors to graduate together, our church communities
to gather again fully in-person and our families to be reunited," Reynolds said. "All of these things are possible and soon, but like everything else over this past year, it will depend on all of us doing our part for the greater good."
