Where and when can I get the vaccine? What centers near me offer it? Do I have to go to a huge center or can I go to my local pharmacy?

These are all common questions asked over the last couple months by people across the country who want to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

As of April 15, all people 16 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine in the United States, except those with certain health complications, who were eligible to receive it earlier.

The Contra Costa County Health website states that 1,080,260 vaccine doses have been administered in the county as of April 30. So far 69.7 percent of people eligible for the vaccine in the county have had their first dose, and 50.7 percent have been fully vaccinated. An increased number of vaccinations are available everyday, and more people are vaccinated daily.

According to abc7, Contra Costa County is two weeks ahead of most counties in California with the rollout of vaccines. In the average California county, about 33 percent of  the adult population have had their first shot, and 20 percent of adults are fully vaccinated.

Many students over 16, along with their families, are getting vaccinated, including sophomore Nadira Ramlogan.

“I went to DVC a few weeks ago to get vaccinated,” Ramlogan said. “My whole family is vaccinated.”

California is in the bottom 40 percent of states for the percentage of administered vaccines out of those distributed, according to Becker’s Hospital. As of April 30, about 77.69 percent of California’s vaccines have been administered. 

Comparatively, in New Hampshire about 87.38 percent of total distributed vaccines have been given, while in Alabama this number is below 64 percent.

Vaccine distribution by state has a lot of different factors to it, including political leanings and race. According to medical database PatientEngagementHit, a healthcare media website, about one in three adults are “vaccine hesitant,” meaning they have some sort of doubt or hesitation in getting the vaccine. 

Senior Lucky Wong says he hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet, but definitely believes that political stance is influencing who gets it.

“I think that political beliefs can definitely play a role in vaccination,” Wong said. “People will often listen to who they support politically.”

Distribution of the vaccine has ramped up exponentially within the last months. Though there are some with vaccine hesitancy, the majority of the American adult population have been given at least one dose. 

“The majority of U.S. states and territories have administered at or above 81% of their first vaccine doses delivered,” according to the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.