(New York) The US states of New York and Florida are preparing to open up vaccination against COVID-19 to people aged 60 and over, another sign of the acceleration of the vaccination campaign in the United States.
Posted on March 9, 2021 at 1:22 p.m.
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As of March 10, residents of New York State aged 60 and over will be able to be vaccinated, although appointments continue to be sometimes difficult to obtain on authorities’ websites, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. during a press point on Tuesday.
In New York, as in many American states, vaccines, initially reserved for caregivers and residents of nursing homes, are already offered to people over 65 and to people with health problems that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus, as well. to an increasing number of categories of employees deemed “essential”, such as firefighters, police, teachers and others.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also announced on Monday that people over the age of 60 may apply for the vaccine soon, starting March 15.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC) have provided federal guidance on priority populations for the vaccine, states are then free to set their own criteria.
In a decentralized country like the United States, measures vary from state to state, and sometimes even within the same state.
The way these criteria are applied also differs: in Texas, the second most populous state after California, vaccination centers are not allowed to require documents attesting to a health problem qualifying for vaccination.
Some people who do not meet the criteria take the opportunity to claim their vaccine before the time, according to the Texas Tribune. And everywhere, sites have been created on social networks where tips are shared for obtaining an injection, including for ineligible people.
According to the CDC, nearly 30% of the US population over 65 is already “fully vaccinated.” For the entire population, the complete vaccination rate is 9.5%.
The vaccination campaign continues to gain momentum: around 2.2 million people were bitten per day on average last week, with a record 2.9 million injections in a single day on Saturday, according to an adviser from the White House.
President Joe Biden has promised that the United States will have enough vaccines to immunize the entire population by the end of May.
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