All adults in Centre County, including Penn State students, will be eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment starting Monday, April 19, according to an accelerated vaccine rollout plan announced by Governor Tom Wolf Wednesday morning.

Pennsylvania expanded its vaccine distribution plans after receiving additional allocations from the federal government. The state will expand its vaccine efforts through the following timeline:

• March 31: Law enforcement officers and firefighters are now eligible
• April 5: All Pennsylvania adults in Phase 1B, which includes postal workers, public transit and grocery store workers, select first responders, and more, are now eligible
• April 12: All Pennsylvania adults in Phase 1C, which includes housing construction workers, bank tellers, and more, are now eligible
• April 19: All Pennsylvanians over the age of 16 are now eligible

Although all Pennsylvanians 16 and up could make vaccine appointments starting in late April, acting Department of Health Secretary Alison Beam said vaccines may not be readily available for all.

“It is important to remember that eligibility does not guarantee an immediate vaccination appointment,” Beam said. “Vaccine providers are ready and eager to get a shot in the arm of every person who wants one while we continue to aggressively advocate for more vaccine.”

Beam added that Pennsylvania has recently administered as many as 83,000 vaccine doses per day. More than 17,000 partial vaccinations have been administered in Centre County so far, while more than 26,500 county residents are fully vaccinated, according to the Department of Health.

Penn State hasn’t yet announced plans to administer vaccines itself, although some schools like Rutgers said they’ll require students to get COVID-19 vaccines before returning to campus in the fall.

If asked to help with vaccine rollouts, Penn State should be prepared. Earlier this year, it purchased freezers and equipment to potentially store vaccines in the future. The Bryce Jordan Center already has experience serving as a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, too.

Students and Centre County residents can get a head start on booking a COVID-19 vaccine appointment by using waitlists from Mount Nittany Health, Centre Volunteers in Medicine, and more. Appointments also are available through providers listed on the Department of Health‘s website.