All Mississippi residents who are of age to receive the coronavirus vaccine will be able to sign up for a slot beginning tomorrow, March 16.

In a tweet, Gov. Tate Reeves announced that there were almost 10,000 vaccination appointments available statewide.

“If you’re over 50, lock them down TODAY!” Reeves said in the tweet. “… Get your shot friends – and let’s get back to normal.”

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Almost 10,000 appointments available statewide over next 3 weeks. If you’re over 50, lock them down TODAY!

Starting tomorrow, ALL new appointments will be open to ALL Mississippians. Get your shot friends – and let’s get back to normal!

— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 15, 2021

The announcement comes on the heels of Reeves’ decision to follow suit with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and remove all statewide mask mandates and most occupancy requirements for public spaces.

Hours after Reeves’ announcement, the Oxford Board of Aldermen voted to lift the local mask mandate,which had been in place for almost a year.

There are currently two types of mRNA vaccines available in Mississippi: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for those age 16 and older, while Moderna is approved for those age 18 and older.

Both vaccines require two doses for an individual to be considered fully vaccinated, and the second shot must ideally be administered between 21 and 28 days after the first dose.

On Feb. 27, the Food and Drug Administration also approved a one-shot adenovirus vaccine from Johnson & Johnson for those 18 and older.

While it has shown to be less effective than the two-dose vaccines, only requiring one dose will make the Johnson & Johnson vaccine easier to distribute.

Lafayette County’s vaccination site is a drive-thru located at the National Guard Armory at 100 Ed Perry Blvd., behind the Oxford Conference Center. To book an appointment for the coronavirus vaccine, visit covidvaccine.umc.edu.