PHOENIX — Editor's note: All 50,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments have been fully booked as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 2.
Arizona’s health department has opened eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to people 55 and older as the state prepares to open up tens of thousands of new appointments.
ADHS announced 50,000 appointments will be ready to be scheduled on its website starting at noon on Tuesday.
The shots will be given at state vaccination centers at State Farm Stadium and Phoenix Municipal Stadium and will be distributed as early as Thursday.
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR AN APPOINTMENT: A step-by-step guide to register for a COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona
The change comes as Arizona transitions to what ADHS is calling a “hybrid” vaccine distribution model.
Up until now, most of the state was in the Priority Phase 1B stage, which only allowed some essential workers and residents 65 and older to get the vaccine.
“Moving to a hybrid approach will allow us to rapidly and efficiently administer the vaccine and provide all Arizonans with a clearer estimate of when they will be eligible to be vaccinated,” ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ explained.
Arizona is also expected to receive its first shipments of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose shot soon after it was approved by the FDA over the weekend.
Its approval gives doctors a third option in the fight to end the pandemic that’s taken the lives of over 500,000 Americans.
COVID-19 Vaccine
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