All San Luis Obispo County residents 16 years of age and older can now register to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a SLO County Public Health vaccination clinic.
Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein made the announcement at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Public Health officials say this opens up vaccine eligibility to about 54,000 additional SLO County residents.
The county will continue to prioritize those at higher risk for COVID-19 complications based on age and health conditions when scheduling appointments so based on vaccine supply, health officials say it may take a few weeks for those who are newly eligible to get an appointment.
Officials say the Public Health Department currently has enough supply to administer about 9,000 first doses next week at one of the three mass vaccination clinics in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Arroyo Grande.
Eligible residents under the age of 18 will only be given the Pfizer vaccine. It is the only vaccine currently authorized by the FDA for use in 16 and 17-year-olds.
Those under age 18 will also be required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian in order to get vaccinated.
To register for an appointment, visit recoverslo.org/vaccineregistration or call the county's Phone Assistance Center at (805) 543-2444.
Public Health officials say some pharmacies that receive their vaccine allocation from the federal government instead of the county may not open up appointments to this newly eligible group right away.