One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Gov. Newsom: Everyone In CA Will Be Eligible For the Vaccine Within The Next 5-And-A-Half Weeks
Healthcare workers get vaccinated for COVID-19 at the Martin Luther King Jr Community Hospital. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
In just a matter of weeks, California may phase out its COVID-19 vaccine priority tiers, making all adults in the state (everyone 16-and-over) eligible for a shot.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he expects that could happen within the next five-and-a-half weeks, as California's vaccine supply increases. That would put California a few days ahead of President Joe Biden's goal to make doses available to every American by May 1.
Meanwhile, L.A. County health officials are gearing up to expand the number of shots they can give out, with the hope of administering more than a million a week. They anticipate getting larger shipments of the vaccine soon.
But Dr. Paul Simon, the chief science officer for LA County's Department of Public Health, says it's still not clear if supply will keep pace with demand once everyone is eligible for a shot:
"I would worry if we don't have sufficient supply, and we open [eligibility] up prematurely, then the people who really need it the most will have more difficulty getting the vaccine -- longer delays -- and [that] would have an unintended consequence."
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
