The nation’s top health officials called on American 16 years or older to schedule their vaccine appointment as soon as possible, saying “it’s never been easier” now that all states, tribes and territories have lifted their restrictions on eligibility.

What You Need To Know

  • U.S. health officials called on Americans to get vaccinated now that the shot is open to all U.S. adults, plus those who are 16 or 17

  • The administration says 90% of Americans should now be located within five miles of a vaccination site

  • The CDC director pointed to rising COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations as a reason to get vaccinated as soon as possible

  • On Monday, HHS also announced $150 million in funding to reach vulnerable populations who need to get vaccinated

As of Monday, all U.S. adults are eligible to get a coronavirus shot, plus those who are 16 or 17 can get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

Officials also announced that 90% of Americans should now have a vaccine site within five miles of their homes, partly due to the administration’s effort to increase the number of pharmacies that get shots directly from the federal government.

“Things are about to get a whole lot easier,” White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt said in a briefing Monday.

“Everyone who you've seen finally be able to safely hug a loved one, to visit each other without masks, to see old friends — that's an opportunity that's now within reach for you if you make your appointment,” he added. “ If you're 16 or over, it is your turn to get vaccinated, no matter where you live.”

Already, over 50% of U.S. adults have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker, including 80% of people over the age of 65.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky especially urged people to take advantage of the newly open eligibility since COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are still increasing.

The U.S. is averaging more than 67,000 new cases per day, Walensky said, and the country reported nearly 700 deaths Sunday.

“I want to recognize that we remain in a complicated stage," she said. "On the one hand, more people in the United States are being vaccinated every single day at an accelerated pace. On the other hand, cases and hospitalizations are increasing in some areas of the country. One of the most important things we can do to get back to doing the things we love is to get vaccinated.”

Amid the new vaccine eligibility, however, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains on pause due to extremely rare reports of blood clots from those who got the shot.

A CDC panel is expected to meet Friday to review additional data and discuss new recommendations for the shot. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told CNN he expects the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be back on the market with new guidance by Friday.

To boost the vaccination effort, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it will invest nearly $150 million from the COVID relief bill in community-based health care providers.

The funding will focus on underserved and vulnerable populations, and Slavitt said the program will aim to help people who can’t get to a vaccine site by themselves.