KTLA

Riverside County COVID-19 vaccine sites now allowing all residents 65 and older to make appointments

Robert Nelson, 81, of Riverside, left, gets a COVID-19 vaccine shot from nurse Susan Eyman in the parking lot of the Riverside Convention Center on Feb. 1, 2021. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Riverside County residents who are 65 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a county-run clinic, officials announced Monday.

As of Sunday, the age cutoff was 70, which was a bump from last week, when 80-year-olds were able to schedule appointments at county-run clinics, said Brooke Frederico, a spokeswoman for Riverside County.

“These changes were made based on available appointments remaining for this week’s appointments,” Frederico said in an email, adding that there were 10,000 appointments left.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in mid-January that those 65 and older could receive the vaccine. However, scarcity of shots in many municipalities meant that not everyone eligible for a dose would be able to immediately receive one. About a week later, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis issued an executive order requiring county health officials to open appointments to residents in that age group days later.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.