Beginning Monday Hoosiers Age 40 and Up will be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
Good news for friends that are my age - We can start getting our COVID-19 vaccination on Monday, March 22, 2021 in Indiana.This will make the vaccine available to more than 400,000 additional Hoosiers. My husband was able to get his first dose last week, and other than some arm soreness, he hasn't had side effects.
You will need an appointment, and you can sign up HERE or call 211.
Who Can Get The COVID-19 Vaccine (3/22/2021)
- Are you age 40 or older?
- Do you work or volunteer in healthcare and have (physical or close) contact or face to face interactions with patients? Examples include:
- Inpatient, outpatient, provider office setting, nursing homes, residential care facilities, assisted living facilities, in-home services
- This includes all clinical and non-clinical positions: clinicians, dietary, environmental services, administrators who have direct contact with patients, clergy who see patients in the healthcare setting, non-clinicians who assist in procedures, transportation staff, etc.
- This also includes local health department staff who interact with patients at test sites, health clinics or provide direct patient care
- Do you have exposure to COVID-19 infectious material? (Examples include cleaning of rooms or material from COVID-19 patients, performing COVID-19 testing, other exposure to infected tissue, performing autopsies or other post-mortem examinations of COVID-19 patients)
- Are you a first responder (firefighter, police officer and sheriff’s deputy, emergency medical services, reservist and correctional officer) who is regularly called to the scene of an emergency to give medical aid?
- Are you an educator or support staff? Examples include:
- Teacher or staff in pre-K through high school, childcare center or Head Start and Early Start programs
- Licensed childcare providers, including center-based and family care providers
- Classroom aides, bus drivers, janitors, counselors, administration staff, cafeteria workers and substitute teachers
COVID-19 Learning Process:
We have to remember that this is a new virus and a new vaccination process. That means that guidelines can change at any time, and even if you are fully vaccinated and you've waited the required 2 weeks, you shouldn't let your guard down.
- We’re still learning how well COVID-19 vaccines keep people from spreading the disease.
- Early data show that the vaccines may help keep people from spreading COVID-19, but we are learning more as more people get vaccinated.
- We’re still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines can protect people.
- As we know more, CDC will continue to update our recommendations for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
It seems like we are making progress, one day at a time. Please continue to do your part.
LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions
While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.