Local News

Appointments book up as Hoosiers 16 and older become eligible

April 1, 2021

Emergency medical technician Casey Cornett administers a dose of the Moderna vaccine to Columbus resident Yusuke Kameda on Wednesday at the Edinburgh Family Health Center. Scott Roberson | Daily Journal

Hoosiers 16 to 39 rose bright and early Wednesday to claim their shot at a COVID-19 vaccine.

Some would wait weeks; others days, depending on how far they were willing to travel. The state expanded eligibility to everyone who could be vaccinated Wednesday, more than three months after the first doses of the vaccine were given locally.

With the addition of those 16 to 29, 1.3 million more Hoosiers became eligible. A total of 5.4 million Hoosiers are now eligible.

Young people were eager to register but not as eager as their elders, which had larger percentages of the population register on the first day of eligibility, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.

On Wednesday, 10% of eligible Hoosiers in their 20s and 7% of eligible teens had signed up for a vaccine. Since Monday, 25% of those in their 30s have signed up. Overall, 39% of eligible Hoosiers have signed up for an appointment or received a vaccine, state data shows.

The state’s vaccine registration website also allows non-residents to register for a vaccine. State officials had cut off eligibility to non-residents when it began expanding eligibility by age to preserve supplies, but officials have dropped the requirement again. The residency requirement was dropped to remove all barriers to getting a vaccine, said Dr. Kristina Box, state health commissioner. This helps those who work in Indiana but live in another state get vaccinated more quickly, as well people who may not have accessible residency documentation, she said.

With all Hoosiers now eligible, the state’s focus is on equitable access to vaccines, Box said. More mass vaccination clinics are being offered in Marion and Lake counties, where many doses are needed to cover the population.

Hoosiers 18 and older may get any vaccine, but 16 and 17 year olds may only get the Pfizer vaccine, as the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines were only tested in adults.

A new study shows the Pfizer vaccine is effective for children as young as 12, but the vaccine has not been approved for use by the Federal Drug Administration for that age group. Since children cannot get the vaccine, state officials urge parents and guardians to get vaccinated to protect them.

Parents and guardians registering teens for Pfizer vaccines can look for “PVAX” on the state dashboard or call 211 to locate a vaccine clinic that offers the Pfizer vaccine. Local sites offering Pfizer vaccines are Johnson Memorial Hospital, Community Hospital South, Franciscan Health – Indianapolis and other hospitals in Indianapolis, Shelbyville and Columbus.

There are 12 vaccination sites in Johnson County: Johnson Memorial Hospital, Adult and Child Health Primary Care in Franklin, Windrose Health in Edinburgh, Sam’s Club in Greenwood and all Kroger and Walmart stores in the county.

Compass Park in Franklin will begin administering vaccines on Monday.

The Johnson County Health Department’s new vaccination site at Compass Park, formerly called Indiana Masonic Home, opened up appointments for the first time Wednesday.

The county health department will begin giving about 200 Moderna vaccines a day at Compass Park’s event center, said Betsy Swearingen, health department director. They could administer as many as 2,640 vaccines a week if the state provides more doses, she said.

Johnson Memorial Hospital will move its vaccine clinic this weekend, but will continue to provide about 400 Pfizer doses a day, said Dr. David Dunkle, hospital president and CEO. The old emergency room where vaccines are currently being given is set to be renovated. It will become a wound care center, he said.

Mass vaccination clinics offering the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine are also scheduled this month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, only appointments for the final days of the clinic, from April 24 to April 30, remained.

The mass vaccination clinics were a popular choice among young people because only one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is required for full effectiveness.

The lack of appointment availability at local sites also likely drove demand. Most sites in the county were booked out to mid-April or early May even before thousands more county residents became eligible on Wednesday.

Before Compass Park’s clinic came online, the earliest appointments available nearby were at Windrose in Edinburgh, or Major Hospital and the Shelby County Health Department in Shelbyville.

At 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the earliest available appointments were April 8 at Compass Park. Most local appointments were for late April or May.

About 408,000 vaccine doses are earmarked for Indiana next week, and more than 252,300 of those are first doses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Here is a look at how those eligible can register for a vaccine:

Johnson Memorial Hospital

When: Vaccines available 8 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturdays.

Where: Old emergency wing, 1125 W Jefferson St, Franklin. Parking in Blue Lot H.