Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Governor Kevin Stitt received the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine Monday during a press conference in which the Oklahoma State Department of Health launched the final phase of its vaccine rollout plan.

As of Monday, all Oklahomans 16 years of age and older are now eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.

“Today we are another step closer to getting our summer back,” said Gov. Stitt. “I am grateful to our health department for being relentless in their efforts to rollout the COVID vaccine in Oklahoma. Their determination is the reason why now, in Oklahoma, anyone who wants a vaccine can get one.”

Oklahoma is one of the first states to open vaccine appointments to the general public, joining peers such as Texas and Mississippi. The state has made steady progress on vaccine rollout since December, often ranking in the top 10 states in the nation for pace of vaccine administration.

The vaccine is available at no cost to all Oklahomans 16+. 16- and 17-year-olds can receive the Pfizer vaccine with parental consent and with a parent present at the vaccination site. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available to those 18+.

Oklahomans 16+ are encouraged to register through the state’s Vaccine Scheduler Portal at vaccinate.ok.gov if they haven’t done so already. After registration, they will see available phase 4 appointments on the portal starting March 29. Appointments for phases 1-3 will also remain available on the portal.

The state’s vaccine portal is just one option for scheduling an appointment — vaccine appointments are also available through many other local pandemic providers across the state. Oklahomans can ask their personal healthcare provider about the vaccine or use the federal vaccine locator at vaccinefinder.org to check for appointments at local pharmacies.