Wyoming opens COVID-19 shots to everyone ages 16 and up

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - All Wyoming residents ages 16 and up are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Residents aged 16 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Those 18 and older are eligible for the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Wednesday.

"I would encourage every resident to take advantage of the vaccines, as Jennie and I have, and help Wyoming move closer to ending this pandemic," Gordon said in a statement, referring to his wife.

More than 162,000 people in Wyoming, or over one-quarter of the state's population, have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far.

The vaccines are free of charge and people don't need health insurance to get them.

Wyoming has been seeing about 50 confirmed new cases of the coronavirus a day, down from over 600 in November.

Wyoming's new infection rate has leveled off over the past couple weeks, however, and remains higher than at any point before last September.

About 700 people in Wyoming have died of the virus.