Official: Biden moving COVID-19 vaccine eligibility date to April 19
He plans to announce that every adult in the US will be eligible for vaccination
Washington: President Joe Biden was set to announce Tuesday that he is shaving about two weeks off his May 1 deadline for states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccines.
Biden was set to make the announcement at the White House later Tuesday following a visit to a vaccination site in Virginia, a White House official said.
With states gradually expanding eligibility beyond such priority groups as older people and essential, front-line workers, the president plans to announce that every adult in the US will be eligible by April 19 to be vaccinated, the official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Biden's plans before the formal announcement.
The new deadline of April 19 is about two weeks earlier than Biden's original May 1 deadline.
The president had announced just last week that 90 per cent of adults would be eligible for one of three approved vaccines by April 19, in addition to having a vaccination site within 5 miles of their home.
CNN was first to report on Biden's planned announcement.