Please Note: On March 31, 2021, this article was updated to reflect that Hoosiers age 30 years and older are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
On January 6, 2021, Governor Holcomb announced that Hoosiers age 80 years and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Friday, January 8. The state has continued its aged-based, stair-step approach, and as of March 29, 2021, eligibility was extended to Hoosiers age 16 years and older. This approach is in addition to the ongoing vaccination of front line health care workers through hospital sites and the long-term care facility clinics in partnership with CVS and Walgreens.
Hoosiers age 16 years and older can utilize the following website to sign-up to receive the vaccine: ourshot.in.gov. Eligible Hoosiers can also call 211 or an Area Agency on Aging for more information. At least one clinic is available in each of Indiana’s 92 counties, although available dates and times will vary by clinic. For a list of clinics by county, please click here.
The Indiana Department of Health has clarified that this option for older Hoosiers to access the vaccine is in addition to vaccination clinics via the pharmacy partnership. If a resident of any long term care facility (nursing facility, residential care, assisted living, independent living) leaves the facility to obtain the vaccine, the resident does not need to quarantine upon return, as excursions that are less than 24 hours do not require transmission-based precautions upon return under the updated Visitation Guidelines. IDH recommended the following relative to this offering:
- Independent Living Residents – Likely more mobile and this is a great option for vaccine access and residents should be encouraged to register.
- Assisted Living Residents – May depend on mobility and timing of future onsite clinic through pharmacy partnership. If resident can safely go to the vaccine site and return, with or without assistance, then residents may do so.
- Nursing Facility Residents – Would recommend waiting until onsite clinic, but are not exclude from accessing via this option.