Six states open vaccines to all adults on Monday

© Abdul Aziz for the New York Times
Rashelle Green received her first dose of Moderna vaccine this month in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Louisiana joins five other states in extending immunization eligibility to all adults on Monday.

Chris Adams, 36, spent the last year of the pandemic living with his grandparents in Wichita, Kan., And being “extremely strict” on social distancing. “I never went out,” he said.

But starting Monday, when all adults in Kansas are eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, Adams plans to find a vaccination site where there is an appointment available. “What I can’t wait to see again is to see my friends again,” he said.

Kansas is one of six states – Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas are the others – that extend vaccine eligibility to all adults on Monday. Minnesota will follow on Tuesday, and Indiana and South Carolina on Wednesday.

Governor Laura Kelly, of Kansas, urged residents last week to request appointments, saying, “With the anticipated increase in supply from the federal government, we must quickly arm every dose of vaccine.”

Even as vaccine eligibility continues to expand across America – almost every state has committed to making every adult eligible by May 1 – the United States has also reported an increase in the number of new cases in the past week. About 75,000 new cases were reported on Friday, a significant increase from the 60,000 added the previous Friday.

The northeastern states accounted for about 30% of the country’s new cases in the past two weeks, up from 20% in the first two weeks of February.

In New York City, there were an average of 8,426 new cases per day, an 18% increase from the average two weeks earlier, according to a New York Times database. In New Jersey over the past week, there were an average of 4,249 new cases reported per day, a 21% increase from the average two weeks earlier. And on Friday, Vermont set a single-day case record with 283 new infections; it is the first state to establish a case since January 18.

For many, the vaccine cannot come soon enough.

Nicole Drum, 42, a writer from metro Kansas City, Kan., Cried on Friday when she learned she would be eligible for the vaccine as early as Monday. She started calling pharmacies and searching online for available appointments “within minutes of breaking the news,” she said.

Mrs. Drum called about 10 places without success. She had better luck on a county website and made an appointment for Wednesday.

She said she planned to wear a special “I believe in science” t-shirt to her date. “I got myself a fun outfit to get the shot,” she laughs.

She also plans to take her 4-year-old son with her, as she wants him to see “how research, science and the people coming together can really help stem this stuff,” she said. declared.

“I want him to know that you don’t have to be afraid of big scary things all the time, because there are always helpers trying to figure that out,” Ms. Drum said. “While the solution may be something that is a hit in the arm that hurts a bit, it’s worth it.”