Hoosiers age 50 years or older now qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Indiana Department of Health made the announcement just one day after it expanded eligibility to those aged 55 or older. It’s not clear why the state made the change so quickly. However, the expansion of eligibility makes the vaccine available to an additional 412,000 Hoosiers.
“Due to limited vaccine supplies nationally, Indiana has prioritized healthcare workers, first responders and those who are most vulnerable in its vaccine rollout. Individuals age 50 and older account for just over 35 percent of the state’s population but represent 80 percent of the COVID-19 hospitalizations and 98 percent of all COVID-19 deaths,” the department said.
Who else qualifies?
In addition to those who are age 50 and older, healthcare workers, long-term care residents and first responders who are regularly called to the scene of an emergency to render medical assistance are eligible.
How do you schedule an appointment?
To schedule an appointment, visit ourshot.in.gov or call 211 if you do not have access to a computer or require assistance.
New cases and deaths reported
As of today, an additional 786 Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 663,511 the number of Indiana residents now known to have contracted the virus.
Nine more Hoosiers have died from COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 12,200. Another 433 probable deaths have been reported “based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record,” the state says.
“To date, 3,127,593 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 3,123,029 on Tuesday,” the Indiana Department of Health adds.
