NYers Age 30+ Eligible for Vaccine Tuesday, 16+ Get Access April 6

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New Yorkers 30 years of age and older will be vaccine-eligible starting Tuesday — and he plans to open up access for those 16 and older the following week, on April 6.

Monday’s surprise announcement means the state will make adult eligibility universal nearly a month ahead of President Joe Biden’s May 1 deadline and one day after Connecticut does the same. It also raises the question of where the 16+ group will get their shots. Only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for people that young, according to the latest CDC data, which was updated earlier this month.

That manufacturer was the only of the FDA-approved three to enroll minors in its trials. With rare exception, New York doesn’t specify which sites offer which vaccines. Local officials haven’t detailed the potential limiting implications for the youngest group or said if they’ll funnel those people to certain locations.

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are federally authorized for those 18 and up. As of Monday, 30 percent of New Yorkers had received at least one dose, while nearly 17 percent of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. In the city, 15 percent of people have completed their series; 27 percent have at least one dose.