New Hampshire to open COVID-19 vaccines to all residents over 16 next week

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — By the end of next week, everyone ages 16 and older will be eligible to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu said Thursday.

The first group, ages 40-49, will be eligible to register on the state’s site — known as VINI — on Monday. The next group, ages 30-39, can register as of Wednesday, and the last group ages 16-29, can sign up next Friday. The vaccine has not yet been approved for children under 16.

“We feel fairly confident that everyone should be able to get their first shot by Memorial Day,” Sununu said.

Only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for those ages 16-18, and sites will note that for that group.

The news comes as infections and the test positivity rate are on the rise. Sununu said he plans to renew the state’s mask mandate, which expires on Friday, for three more weeks.

“There is no one specific cause for these increases,” said Benjamin Chan, state epidemiologist. “The increasing infections are being seen across multiple, different age groups, primarily in people under the age of 60. … These increases are more pronounced in the younger age demographics, teenagers and people in their 20s.”

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