County health departments preparing to open COVID-19 vaccine clinics next week – Fox 59
INDIANAPOLIS – First, the COVID-19 vaccine went to hospitals and pharmacies. Now doses are heading to county health departments in Indiana.
Local health officials are preparing to open clinics next week. It comes as Hoosiers 80 and older can start signing up for an appointment Friday at 9 a.m.
People age 80 and older account for more than half of the COVID-19 deaths in the state, according to the Indiana Department of Health dashboard.
Indiana has received just over 350,000 doses of vaccine to date and is scheduled to receive about 78,000 doses per week at this time.
“By opening vaccine to those who are 80 or older, then adding people in their 70s and 60s when vaccine supplies allow us to expand, we can best protect the populations that account for 93 percent of our COVID-19 deaths,” Box said.
Hoosiers age 80 and older can register beginning at 9 a.m. Friday by going to https://ourshot.in.gov. You can search for a nearby vaccine clinic and select an appointment time. Appointments may also be made by calling 211 beginning Friday. A caregiver or loved one may make an appointment on behalf of an eligible senior.
At least one vaccine clinic will be located in each Indiana county.
Hamilton County Health Department said it expects to begin vaccine operations as early as Monday morning at the 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville.
“Right now, we are planning on doing 160 doses a day given what we are expecting to receive in,” said Christian Walker, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator for the Hamilton County Health Department.
The county will start with one site for now and it will operate six hours a day.
“Our fire departments are stepping up,” Walker said. “They are providing paramedics and EMTs to fill shifts. Our free clinics are offering volunteers. We have medical professionals that live in the community that are volunteering their time.”
Boone County Health Department plans to transform a portion of its fairgrounds into a vaccine clinic too. They expect it will open on Tuesday.
“It is very very exciting. The last couple weeks have been very very stressful but as soon as that news came out that we can do 80 and over I felt so excited,” said Claire Haughton, Public Health Educator for the Boone County Health Department.
Here is more information about vaccine clinics launching in other central Indiana counties:
Hancock County
Vaccinations will be provided within their health department offices and clinics will start on Tuesday, Jan 12.
Johnson County
The county health department is currently partnered with Johnson Memorial Hospital and will phase their vaccine clinic into theirs beginning Monday. They are set to receive the vaccine Thursday or Friday. The county will also receive vaccines 1/11 and 1/18.
Madison County
The health department plans to start vaccinations on Monday, Jan 11. They are receiving the vaccine late this week and next Monday.
Marion County
MCPHD announced it will launch COVID-19 vaccine clinics for people 80 and older, health care workers and first-responders will be eligible to receive the vaccine.
Vaccine clinic hours will be as follows:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Monroe County
The county health department is expecting vaccine this week and plan to open a clinic on Monday. It will operate only a few days per week to start and will ramp up as more vaccine becomes available.
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