Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 19, 2021
From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 19, 2021
All Americans over age of 16 are now eligible for COVID vaccine
The White House says “it has never been easier” to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot in the United States, as all people 16 and older are eligible for vaccines nationwide as of Monday.
US President Joe Biden is encouraging people to book appointments immediately and to encourage family and friends to do the same.
Says Biden: “You need to be protected, and you need in turn to protect your neighbors and your family.”
On Sunday, the country reached the milestone of having 50 percent of adults at least partially vaccinated.
Monday also marks the expansion of the White House’s federal retail pharmacy program. Senior adviser Andy Slavitt says more than 90% of Americans live within five miles (some eight kilometers) of a vaccination site.
A member of the Philadelphia Fire Department administers the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to a person at a vaccination site setup at a Salvation Army location in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
