Arkansas Lowers Age Eligibility For COVID-19 Vaccination

Slots for the COVID-19 vaccination opened up when Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that Arkansas has lowered the age requirement from 70 to 65 years old. 

My parents live in Texas and have had their first round of the vaccine. However, I have close friends in Arkansas who will be really excited about this decision. This move will allow an additional 115,000 Arkansas to get the vaccine according to a slide shared by Governor Hutchinson on Tuesday. The increase in vaccine shipments will add to the overall number of available vaccines for Arkansas to help meet the demand.

"There's a great demand for that and with the added 65 plus, there's even going to be more demand. There will be other mass vaccination clinics, there's going to be expanded opportunities with the pharmacies, the governor said Tuesday. 

The older populations have accounted for the majority of lives lost by COVID-19. So while this move skips over food and manufacture workers, it makes sense.