All Mississippians 16 or older now qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine, with thousands of appointments still available across the state. Photo courtesy CDC

All Mississippians aged 16 or older are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. No employment, pre-existing condition, or citizenship requirement bar Mississippi’s adult population from getting their shot of Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Mississippians can make appointments online here, or over the phone at 877-978-6453.

“It’s a great day to be a Mississippian,” Gov. Tate Reeves said this morning via Facebook. “If you want a shot, you can get a shot! Great day indeed!”

Vaccine providers are available on this interactive Mississippi State Department of Health map. The map displays the nearest vaccine providers to the user—hospitals, private clinics, pharmacies and drive-through sites. Residents must make appointments before arriving at the vaccination sites.

Previously, Mississippians aged 50 or older, those with certain chronic health conditions, and those working in certain professions such as medical workers, teachers and first responders qualified for the vaccine. Mississippi is now the only state in the lower 48 with no restrictions on vaccinations.

Children 15 and younger are still ineligible for a shot. Currently, both Moderna and Pfizer are engaged in clinical trials for children 12 and older, but it will be some time before COVID-19 vaccines for children are fully safety-tested and approved for widespread use.

Still, with the vaccination drive now open to more than 2 million Mississippians, the road to herd immunity has never been closer or more achievable, experts say. The Centers for Disease Control have endorsed fully vaccinated individuals (two weeks after the final shot needed) to gather together indoors unmasked, but not with those who have not completed both vaccines.

Vaccines Strong Against UK Variant

In a March 12 press conference, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs spoke about vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7, of which Mississippi has confirmed cases. B.1.1.7 is more contagious with a higher mortality rate, but Dobbs is confident in the ability of all three available vaccines to resist the fast-spreading variant.

“For the UK strain, we think that all of our vaccines are strong,” Dobbs said. “Based on currently available data, it does look like we have pretty equivalent efficacy from all available vaccines in the United States.

Email Reporting Fellow Julian Mills at [email protected].