Biden moves up deadline for COVID vaccine eligibility to April 19

Washington — President Biden announced Tuesday that the deadline for adult eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines nationwide is being moved up to April 19. Mr. Biden had previously called for states and territories to make all adults eligible for shots by May 1. 

As of Tuesday, 36 states have opened eligibility for vaccinations to people ages 16 and older, while 12 more and the District Columbia are already set to do so by April 19. In other words, most states were already on track to match the president's new April 19 deadline before he announced it.  It is unclear how moving up a deadline set by the president actually changes the distribution of the vaccines or how quickly they're injected into Americans' arms. It was also not immediately clear Tuesday if the new, earlier deadline also signals that vaccine supply is arriving faster or if there are new plans to more quickly vaccinate Americans waiting to get their shots.