State Adds 50+ Cohort & High-Risk Individuals for COVID-19 Vaccine

| March 2, 2021

Starting Wednesday, March 4, 2021, Hoosiers at least 50 years old can get a free COVID-19 vaccine. The state is also allowing patients identified as highest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 by their health care provider. Those include:

  • Active dialysis patients
  • Sickle cell disease patients
  • Down syndrome
  • Post-solid organ transplant
  • People who are actively in treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) for cancer now or in the last three months, or with active primary lung cancer or active hematologic cancers (lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma)

All it takes is a simple registration at www.ourshot.in.gov to find the closest vaccination site to you and to make an appointment. If you need help using a computer, a friend or loved one can register for you. Or, you can call your local AAA at 800.986.3505 or dial 2-1-1 for assistance. Teachers of any age may access a vaccine at local pharmacies participating in the federal partnership program.

Here are some facts you should know:

  • The Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The EUA process has allowed for clinical trials and manufacturing to occur at the same time, while still allowing for rigorous testing to determine how safe and effective they are
  • The Centers for Disease and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has reviewed the vaccines and recommends their use
  • The Indiana Department of Health’s external advisory committee of experts has reviewed the clinical trial data and also approves their administration
  • The vaccines are available at no cost to you
  • Pfizer and Moderna are two-part vaccines, so you must get a second dose after the first dose after 21 days or 28 days, depending on the manufacturer
  • Johnson & Johnson is a one-shot vaccine
  • You should take whatever vaccine is available to you

For additional general information or specific information about each vaccine, visit www.ourshot.in.gov.

Please continue to wear a mask, stay physically distant, wash your hands often and stay home if you are sick, even after being fully vaccinated.

State Adds 60+ Cohort for COVID-19 Vaccine

| January 13, 2021

Starting Tuesday, February 23rd, Hoosiers at least 60 years old can get a free COVID-19 vaccine.

All it takes is a simple registration at www.ourshot.in.gov to find the closest vaccination site to you and to make an appointment. If you need help using a computer, a friend or loved one can register for you. Or, you can call your local AAA at 800.986.3505 or dial 2-1-1 for assistance.

Here are some facts you should know:

  • The vaccine has received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA after completing three phases of testing involving 43,000 participants
  • The Centers for Disease and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has reviewed the vaccine and recommends its use
  • The Indiana Department of Health’s external advisory committee of experts has reviewed the clinical trial data and also approves its administration
  • The vaccine is available at no cost to you
  • It is a two-part vaccine, so you must get a second dose after the first dose after 21 days or 28 days, depending on the manufacturer

Based on clinical trials on thousands of people:

  • The vaccine is at least 94% effective at preventing COVID-19 for all adults (including 65 and older), genders, and race and ethnicity demographics
  • Few side effects were reported, but included headache (2%) and fatigue (4%)
  • Study participants reached full effectiveness seven days after the second dose

Please continue to wear a mask, stay physically distant and wash your hands even after being fully vaccinated