Vaccine scheduling slated for those 80-plus
Hoosiers will soon be able to call 2-1-1 for appointments
Indiana residents 80 and older can call or go online to schedule their first of two COVID-19 vaccine shots starting at 8 a.m. Friday.
State health officials said they were expanding eligibility by age first to those in their 80s, with those in their 70s and 60s to follow later. Exceptions are not being given for those younger with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease, for example, due to limited supply, they said.
More than 250,000 eligible Indiana residents can call 2-1-1 to schedule or go to ourshot.in.gov at the webpage’s bottom section.
Vaccines would be available via 55 hospitals and 91 county health departments. Those include Methodist in Gary and Merrillville, Community Hospital in Munster, Franciscan in Hammond, Crown Point and Michigan City.
Nearly 10,000 people have gotten their first dosage in Lake and Porter counties, or about 1.5% of the population in each county, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
The Lake County Health Department is recruiting volunteers with a high school diploma to help with registration at a vaccine site. It also wants nurses, medical assistants, EMTs and other qualified medical personnel, active or retired, to help give vaccines.
The Porter County Health Department posted its vaccine plan online. It will have 600 doses per week of the Moderna vaccine for eligible recipients, officials said. Violations of Indiana State Department of Health guidelines face a $1 million fine per incident, it said.
The state health department would notify eligible individuals directly, via an employer or by public announcement. When providing their ZIP code during registration, they would be directed to the nearest site, it said. The county health department would have its own vaccination site.
So far, health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, and mental health providers, firefighters, police officers are eligible.
Other groups in Phase 1B — corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, postal workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store employees, public transit workers, teachers, day care workers and others in the educational sector, and those 75 and older at high risk of hospitalization or death would follow.
Those in Phase 1C — aged 65-74 at high risk from severe illness, aged 18-64 with chronic conditions, and essential workers including others in transportation and logistics, construction and finance, IT, communications, energy, law, media, public safety and public health would follow at a later date.
About 1.5 million residents are 60 and older, accounting for 93% of Indiana’s COVID-19 deaths, according to state health officials. The goal is to protect those at the greatest risk and vulnerable workers by age, Indiana Health Commissioner Kristina Box said.
About 9,700 people got their first dose, with 7,000 people in Lake County and 2,700 in Porter, as of Tuesday, per the Indiana’s online dashboard.