New Yorkers 16 And Older Now Eligible For COVID Vaccine
New Yorkers 16 and older can sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations starting Tuesday 4/6/21, a major eligibility expansion as the state seeks to immunize as many people as possible.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo expanded eligibility to 30 and over last week and announced that people aged 16 to 29 would be eligible starting April 6 according to a story aired on NEWS 4 (WIVB-TV).
Teens aged 16 and 17 will be limited to receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, since that is the only one that has been authorized for use by people under 18. Parental consent will be required for vaccinations of 16- and 17-year-olds, with certain exceptions including for teens who are married or are parents.
None of the available vaccines have yet been approved for people under 16.
About one in five New York state residents are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was reported over the weekend that a little more than one-third of the state’s residents had received at least one vaccine dose.
The new vaccination rules add 1.7 million people to the list of eligible New Yorkers, for a total of 15.9 million individuals, state Health Department officials said.
When signing up on the state's Am I Eligible website, you can see what type of vaccine is being offered at individual locations.
The website also will not let someone who is 16 register for a vaccine at a location that does not offer Pfizer.
COVID-19 vaccines are available at pharmacies and through county and state clinics. Click here for a list and links to pharmacies and county health departments.
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