​Two vaccination sites in Arizona are now open to people 55 and older

Arizona announced on Monday that two vaccination sites in Maricopa County, located in Glendal…

Arizona announced Monday that two vaccination sites in Maricopa County, State Farm Stadium in Glendale and Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix, are now open to people 55 and older and will open approximately 50,000 vaccination appointments at noon today (March 2) in preparation for the official on-site start of vaccinations on March 4.

State data shows that 90% of people who have died from COVID-19 in Arizona have been among people 55 and older, while about 65% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have been in that age group.

Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said the vaccine will be opened to the next age group once 55% of each jurisdiction's target population has been vaccinated or officials determine that the vaccine is no longer needed. So after 55% of people in the 55 to 64 age group have been vaccinated, the next group to be vaccinated will be the 45 to 54 year olds.

This change follows the unanimous recommendation of the Arizona Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Advisory Committee, which includes state, local city and tribal experts, and health care partners.

Dr. Cara Christ said Arizona is opting for an age-based approach to vaccinations from now on while also working to vaccinate frontline essential workers such as those working in the food service industry, including restaurants and grocery stores. She also said the new hybrid model means expanded vaccinations for frontline essential workers. Some changes will depend on individual counties, as some have begun expanding their vaccinations beyond the priority 1B group. Vaccine sites in counties as well as the University of Arizona in Tucson are also expected to use age-based hybrid models.

Vaccine appointment registration website: ADHS – Highlighted Infectious Diseases for Arizona – Coronavirus Disease 2019 – Vaccine Registration (azdhs.gov)

News source: AZ going to age-based vaccine rollout, begins with those 55 and older (azcentral.com)