Anyone 16+ can now get vaccinated as Riverside County nears the ‘orange’ tier

Starting on Tuesday, April 6th, anyone 16+ can get a COVID-19 vaccine in Riverside County. The county decided to expand eligibility a little over a week early to ensure doses don’t go to waste. 

“We are seeing many available appointments at public health clinics have not been filled,” said Booke Federico, public information officer, Riverside County. 

The original change was scheduled to take place on April 15th, but the county says there have been several open appointments and more vaccines are now available. 

It’s important to remember, however, that the only vaccine available to those under 18 is Pfizer. As of now, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the Moderna vaccine is only for those 18+. Any 16 or 17-year-old going to get vaccinated will need to make an appointment to get the Pfizer vaccine and be accompanied by a parent. 

You can explore all county vaccine appointments and locations by visiting ruhealth.org. 

If you’d like to make an appointment at the Indio Fairgrounds (offering Moderna this week) CLICK HERE. 

If you’d like to make an appointment at the Palm Springs Convention Center (offering Pfizer this week) CLICK HERE. 

If all appointments are filled, the county says keep checking back daily, as they add new spots.

If you do not have access to a computer, you can call 2-1-1 for assistance in making an appointment near you. 

The expanded eligibility comes as Riverside County expects to move into the orange tier soon. County metrics continue to improve each week.