Vaccine application process sometimes slow, but still functional for IN residents
Information provided by the Indiana Department of Public Health
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (January 8, 2021)– More than 53,000 Indiana residents age 80 and older registered to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as of 4:00 p.m. Friday, the first day of eligibility for this age group. Among those registering, 21,000 people scheduled appointments in the first 90 minutes after registration opened at 9:00 a.m.
High interest in COVID-19 vaccines has caused slowdowns to the state’s vaccine registration site and 211 system, but both systems are working. Hoosiers age 80 and older who are now eligible are encouraged to continue to check the sites.
Hoosiers can continue to register at https://ourshot.in.gov, by calling 211 or by contacting one of Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging for help. A caregiver or loved one also may make an appointment on behalf of an eligible senior.
The vaccine registration site is designed to put visitors into a holding queue when volume is high. That can contribute to longer wait times or an error message, but Hoosiers should be able to check back at a later time to access the system.
“We are gratified by the high interest in vaccine registration for our most vulnerable Hoosiers and encourage everyone to be patient,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “We anticipated these scenarios on the first day and have a system in place to address them as quickly as possible.”
Individuals age 80 and older account for less than 4 percent of the state’s population but represent more than 19 percent of the hospitalizations and more than half of the COVID-19 deaths in the state, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
At least one vaccine clinic will be located in each Indiana county. Vaccines are free, but insurance may be charged an administrative fee.
Appointments for the second dose will be made at the clinic when the first dose is administered.
Additional groups, such as those based on underlying health conditions, will be added as vaccine becomes available. Updates will be posted at https://ourshot.in.gov.
Illinois seniors will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination when the state has made “substantial progress in Phase 1A [vaccinating healthcare workers] and federal vaccine deliveries increase.” It is not yet clear when that will be.
