33 states now offering COVID-19 vaccination to all adults

Twelve additional states opened coronavirus vaccinations to everyone over the age of 16, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s vaccine tracker, bringing the nationwide total to 33.

As of Monday, Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin will allow all eligible adults to get a vaccine.

Those states join Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming which have already opened up vaccination eligibility.

Later this week, Delaware, New York, Maine, North Carolina and Missouri will also open up vaccines to everyone over 16 years old, bringing the total to 38 states.

California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia are still limiting vaccinations by age.

The moves are helping the Biden administration towards its goal of having 90 percent of U.S. adults eligible for the coronavirus vaccine by April 19. President Biden had previously set a goal of all U.S. adults being eligible for the vaccine no later than May 1.

The U.S. vaccine supply is increasing, as is the rate of vaccinations. Experts predict that in a matter of weeks, lack of demand is going to become more of a concern than availability.

According to federal officials, the U.S. is vaccinating on average 3.1 million people a day. More than 40 percent of adults have at least one shot, and nearly one in four adults are now fully vaccinated, White House COVID-19 advisor Andy Slavitt said Monday.

But at the same time, new infections and hospitalizations are also increasing, and outbreaks in states like Michigan are stoking fears of another nationwide surge.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the seven-day average of new cases is about 64,000 cases per day, which is up approximately 7 percent compared to the prior seven-day period.

This is the fourth straight week of increasing COVID-19 cases, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing Monday. She attributed the rise in part to new, more contagious variants.

Walensky also said that many of the outbreaks identified among young people are connected to participation in youth sports and extracurriculars. She noted CDC guidelines suggest those activities should be limited.

Case counts have shown some signs of a plateau, but many states delayed reporting because of Easter. Many health experts predict another increase following the holiday, if unvaccinated people gathered together indoors, much like what happened after every other major holiday.

Hospital admissions have also increased, to an average of about 4,970 admissions per day in the past week.

“I understand that people are tired, and that they are ready for this pandemic to be over, as am I. Please continue to hang in there and to continue to do the things that we know prevent the spread of the virus,” Walensky said Monday.

-Updated 1:12 p.m.