The cars line up at the COVID-19 State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Facebook Photo / Arizona Department of Health Services)
PHOENIX – Arizona on Monday announced another leap forward in its vaccination schedule, opening up eligibility to two state-run sites for anyone 55 and older.
Eligibility for young age is an extension of the eligibility group over 65 and of priority 1B.
The Arizona Department of Health Services opens 50,000 meetings at Glendale State Farm Stadium and Phoenix Municipal Stadium at noon Tuesday for the new group.
Appointments will begin on Thursday. Registration is available through the website of the state health department.
“As more vaccines arrive in Arizona, we will continue to refine our plan to maximize the benefits of this still limited resource,” Dr. Cara Christ, the state’s health director, said in a press release.
The move to a hybrid approach will allow us to administer the vaccine quickly and efficiently and provide all Arizonans with a clearer estimate of when they will be eligible to be vaccinated.
The state has also introduced a plan for when counties should start reducing the age required to receive the vaccine in places not administered by ADHS.
Local health departments can move to the next age group when 55% of the current age group has received the vaccine or if they consider that there is no longer any demand for vaccines.
The state Department of Health will begin displaying this information on the vaccine dashboard.
Since vaccine distribution began in December, more than 1.8 million doses have been administered and approximately 600,000 Arizonans have received both doses.
For statewide availability information, the ADHS website has a vaccine search page with a location map and registration information.
The site also has an eligibility check tool that lets you know if you are authorized to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Consult local health departments for non-state-run sites, as eligibility may vary by county.
Correction: Earlier versions of this story incorrectly said that additional essential workers were gaining eligibility.