Mississippi becomes the second state to open Covid-19 vaccinations to all of its adult residents, following a call by President Biden that all states must do so by May 1st.
Alaska last week opened its vaccination doors to anyone 16 or older living or working in the state. The change in Mississippi takes effect Tuesday.
“Have a go, friends,” Governor Tate Reeves announced on Twitter. “And let’s be normal again!”
The rate of vaccinations in the United States gradually increased as production increased, from well under one million shots per day on January 20, when Mr. Biden has taken office, averaging about 2.4 million doses a day, according to a New York Times database.
The team of mr. Biden has made important decisions that have made the production and distribution of vaccines faster, but now the country faces the challenge of getting all the shots in the arms. Mass vaccination sites across the country are opening up or increasing their capacity, in part in response to the influx of doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
But there are even more challenges, including improving access in color communities and convincing Americans for various reasons to guard against being vaccinated safely and effectively.
Although Mississippi leaves most states behind in the portion of the population that is vaccinated, it sails according to all the neighbors except Louisiana, according to a New York Times tracker. On Sunday, about 20 percent of Mississippians received at least one shot, and 11 percent were fully vaccinated.
The state has already gone further than most states to cover everyone 50 or older. Governor Reeves urged senior residents to book appointments as soon as possible.
Government Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan has said her state will drop its admission restrictions until April 5, about a month before Mr. Bid them deadline. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said his state would also be eligible for all adults on April 5 for the time being.
“It’s going to take a while to give the vaccine to everyone who wants it, and I encourage patience to the greatest extent possible,” he said. Lamont said in a news release.
Officials in Washington, DC, said Monday that they will do the same by May 1 so that anyone 16 or older in the city can be vaccinated.
In New York, where the minimum age has recently been lowered to 60, the state will open three new mass vaccination sites on Long Island by the end of the week, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo told a news conference on Monday. The sites will be on university campuses in Old Westbury, Brentwood and Southampton.
More categories of publicly targeted workers will be eligible in New York on Wednesday, including government officials, construction workers and employees of nonprofit groups. Mr. Cuomo has not yet announced how or when the state will be eligible for all adults.
About 92.6 million doses of vaccine have been administered since Mr. Biden’s inauguration, according to data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the current pace, the country will receive 100 million doses under Mr. Pray to pass on.