Hoosiers 55 and older can now register for appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The Indiana Department of Health announced the expansion Tuesday.
If you or a loved one falls into that age group, you can register at OurShot.in.gov. If you’re in need of assistance, you can call 211 or one of Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging.
In its announcement, state officials did not address Hoosiers with five specific underlying health conditions. During a press conference on Feb. 10, they said vaccine appointments will likely be direct outreach from primary care providers.
Health officials said on social media said Hoosiers with specific comorbidities should reach out to their primary care providers – after that, they'll be provided a separate registration link.
Those comorbidities are active dialysis patients, Hoosiers with Down syndrome, post-solid organ transplant recipients, sickle cell disease patients, and people in treatment for cancers now or in the last three months, or with active primary lung cancer or active hematologic cancers, like lymphoma, leukemia or multiple myeloma.
The state also announced three mass vaccination sites – the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Notre Dame’s Compton Family Ice Arena, and Ivy Tech Community College’s Sellersburg campus. Registration is required. And Indiana requires proof of age and residency.
These sites will use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which received emergency use authorization from the FDA Saturday. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said in a press release that vaccine allows more flexibility.
“Because it requires just one dose, every shot administered represents a Hoosier who can rest easier, knowing their risk of severe illness from this disease has dropped exponentially,” Box said in a statement.
For those registering online, at the top of the page, there is a muted red banner that reads “Click here to find a vaccination site and register.”
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That will redirect you to a map, which lists vaccination sites by county. Select the one closest to you (or your loved one). And then select “Click here to register.” Select what group best describes you, and then register for your vaccine.
Appointments for the second dose will be made at the clinic when the first dose is administered. The state health department encouraged Hoosiers who may struggle finding an appointment to look at sites in other counties.
Some pharmacies through Walmart, Kroger and Meijer also have COVID-19 vaccines available. Walmart pharmacies are using the state's registration at OurShot.in.gov. However, Kroger and Meijer have their own registration systems.
Hoosiers who are eligible for vaccine appointments may schedule them through the stores’ websites – clinic.meijer.com or kroger.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated.
On Meijer’s website, you’ll fill out a brief questionnaire and then provide your zip code to select a store pharmacy providing vaccines.
On Kroger’s website, you’ll provide a zip code to see your nearest stores. If the COVID-19 vaccine is available at that store’s pharmacy, it should be at the top of the list. But there isn’t a way to filter out stores that don’t have COVID-19 vaccines.
The state opened registration to Hoosiers 60 and older last week.
This story has been updated.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said the state announced what the next phase of its vaccine rollout would look like on Feb. 11. That was incorrect. They announced it on Feb. 10. That paragraph has been edited with new information.
Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.
