NYS opens COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to those 30 and older Tuesday, those 16 and older April 6

New York is one of the final states to open up vaccine eligibility to those 16 and older.

GOOD EVENING...IF YOU ARE 30YEARS OF AGE OROLDER... GET READYTO ROLL UP YOURSLEEVE...NEW YORK STATE ISEXPANDING ITSCOVID VACCINEELIGIBILITY..BEGINNINGTOMORROW AT 8-AM...IF YOU ARE 30YEARS OF AGE ANDOLDER ... YOU CANSCHEDULE YOURAPPOINTMENT TOGET VACCINATED.AND BEGINNINGAPRIL SIXTH.... THEELIGIBILITY EXPANDSONCE AGAIN..TOAGES 16 AND UP.7 EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTEROLIVIA PROIA FINDSOUT WHY THEELIGIBILITY IS NOWDRAMATICALLYEXPANDING.IT'S A CLASSIC CASEOF SUPPLY ANDDEMAND... MOREVACCINES MEANSINCREASEDELIGIBILITY.NIELSEN: I THINKWHAT THEY'RETRYING TO DO ISMATCH THE DEMANDTO THE SUPPLY.NOW THE SUPPLY ISREALLY ROLLING.NEW YORK HASEXPANDED VACCINEELIGIBILITY... AS OFTUESDAY AT 8 A-M,ANYONE 30 ANDOLDER CANSCHEDULE ANAPPOINTMENT.NEW YORKERS 16AND OLDER CANSTART BOOKINGAPPOINTMENTNEXT WEEK.RUSSO: WE WANTTO MAKE SURE THATWE INDIVIDUALSTHAT WANT TO GETVACCINATED THATARE ELIGIBLE ATTHIS POINT TOCONTINUE TO GETVACCINES INTOARMS AS SOON ASPOSSIBLE.DR. NANCY NIESLEN- THE LEAD FOR THEWESTERN NEWYORK VACCINATIONPLANNING TEAM -SAYS MAKING ANAPPOINTMENTSHOULD ALSO BELESSCHALLENGING...EVEN THOUGH THEPOOL OF ELIGIBLEPEOPLE ISGROWING.NIELSEN: I THINK ITWILL BE EASIERNOW, NOT BECAUSETHE ELIGIBILITY HASCHANGED, BUTBECAUSE THEVACCINE IS COMINGMORE PREDICTABLY.FOR EXAMPLE, OURLOCAL HEALTHDEPARTMENTS JUSTGOT NOTIFIED BYTHE STATE THATTHEY KNOWEXACTLY WHAT THEYGET FOR THE NEXTTHREE WEEKS PLUSTHEY MAY GETMORE THAN THAT.IT'S PREDICTABLENOW WHERE IT WASREALLY NOTPREDICTABLEBEFORE.SHE SAYS THEVACCINE WILL BEMORE ACCESSIBLEAS WELL.NIELSEN: A LOTMORE PHARMACIESGOT DOSES ANDDOCTORS WHOHAVE NEVERGOTTEN ANY AREGETTING THEM FORTHE VERY FIRSTTIME.UNIVERSITY ATBUFFALO'S DOCTORTHOMAS RUSSOSAYS THAT'S THEKEY TO COMBATINGVACCINE HESITANCY.RUSSO: THERE IS ACERTAIN SEGMENTOF THE POPULATIONTHAT IS SOMEWHATHESITANT ABOUTGETTINGVACCINATED.

BEINGABLE TO HAVE ADISCUSSION WITHTHEIR TRUSTEDHEALTH CAREPROVIDER WILL BECRITICAL TO GIVINGTHEM THEINFORMATION FORTHEM TO MAKE THEBEST POSSIBLEDECISION.DR. NIELSEN SAYSTHERE IS A LIGHT ATTHE END OF THETUNNEL.NIELSEN: IT'SREALLY VERYHEARTWARMING TOSEE THE VACCINE.WE'VE BEENWAITING ANDWAITING AND NOW ITHINK THERE'S NOTGOING TO BE THEFIGHTING OVERGETTING ANAPPOINTMENT.

IT'SGOING TO BE MUCHEASIER WITH MOREPHARMACIES,BECAUSE EVENTHEY DIDN'T HAVE APREDICTABLE FLOW.NOW, THAT PLUSTHE DOCTORS, ANDTHE COUNTYHEALTHDEPARTMENTS THATDO THE BULK OFTHE WORK, I THINKIT'S GOING TO BEMUCH EASIER.OLIVIA...WITH THEEXPANDEDELIGIBILITY... WHENDO THE DOCTORSTHINK WE'LL REACHHERD IMMUNITY?WELL DR. RUSSOSAYS IT'SCOMPLICATED - HESAYS HE EXPECTS75 TO 80 PERCENTOF PEOPLE WILLRECEIVE THEIRFIRST DOSE BY MAYOR JUNE... ANDTHEY'LL RECEIVETHEIR SECONDDOSE IN JULY ORAUGUST.

BUT HESAYS THAT REALLYDEPENDS ON HOWMANY PEOPLE AREWILLING TO TAKETHE VACCINE...VACCINE HESITANCYCOULD SLOW DOWNOUR ABILITY TOREACH HERDIMMUNITY