Officials in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties announced this week that vaccine eligibility will now be open to every county resident 16 and older.
Residents who meet the age requirement are now able to schedule an appointment starting Wednesday.
More than 785,000 San Bernardino County residents have received the vaccine, according to the data dashboard on the county’s COVID-19 website.
Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California residents aged 16 and older would be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning April 15, but those in the Inland Empire will have access more than a week ahead of schedule.
“This represents another milestone in our effort to get this pandemic under control and return life to normal in San Bernardino County,” the county’s interim health director, Andrew Goldfrach, said in a statement.
“The disease is still with us, and we still need to remain cautious to avoid further outbreaks. Yet we have successfully vaccinated tens of thousands of our most vulnerable residents and have seen new cases and hospitalizations decrease rapidly, so we believe it’s time to open appointments to everyone in the county,” Goldfrach said.
The Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for those under the age of 18, and residents aged 16 and 17 will need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are only available to residents 18 or older.
To schedule an appointment, please visit the San Bernardino County vaccination page or call the county’s COVID-19 helpline at 909-387-3911, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The county will also be moving into the less restrictive, orange tier beginning April 7.
This will allow a variety of businesses to open at higher capacity, and allow bars to open outdoors without serving food.