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LISTEN: Iowans 16 And Older Are Now Eligible For A COVID-19 Vaccine

Results from a Phase III trial show the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can be 79% effective at preventing symptoms of COVID-19.
Finnbarr Webster
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Results from a Phase III trial show the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can be 79 percent effective at preventing symptoms of COVID-19. This vaccine has been authorized for use in more than 100 countries, but not in the U.S.

IPR Morning Edition host Clay Masters talks with IPR health reporter Natalie Krebs about how Iowans, aged 16 and older, should go about trying to schedule a vaccine in Iowa.

Monday marks the first day that COVID-19 vaccine eligibility will expand to all Iowans 16 and older. But local and state health officials are warning Iowans demand will continue to exceed supply for a while. And they may need to be patient when finding an appointment.

"It's very much that same concept is that we continue to ask our community to be patient," says Nola Aigner-Davis with the Polk County Public Health Department. "We are so happy and excited that people want to get vaccinated, but it will just take time."

Aigner-Davis says that’s why it’s crucial all Iowans continue to follow COVID-19 mitigation strategies, even if they are vaccinated. Those 16 and older have been authorized by the FDA to get the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been approved for those 18 and older.

Natalie Krebs is IPR's Health Reporter
Clay Masters is the senior politics reporter for MPR News.