Indiana opens COVID-19 shots to ages 55+, slates mass vaccination clinics

The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·3 min read

Mar. 2—INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health on Tuesday announced that it has partnered with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, University of Notre Dame and Ivy Tech Community College to host three mass vaccination clinics to help eligible Hoosiers receive a free COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition, effective today, Hoosiers age 55 and older are now eligible to receive a free vaccine.

"Getting tens of thousands of vaccines in arms in a matter of days is a huge undertaking that requires incredible partnerships," Gov. Eric Holcomb said. "We are incredibly grateful to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Notre Dame and Ivy Tech for their willingness to meet this challenge head-on to help save Hoosier lives."

The mass vaccination clinics, including the one at Ivy Tech-Sellersburg, will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which received its Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA on Saturday. The vaccine requires only one dose and has been shown to be safe and effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in clinical trials involving nearly 44,000 participants from all races and ethnicities.

Also on Tuesday, state health officials reported that 582 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing to 662,750 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus after corrections to the previous day's dashboard.

A total of 12,192 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 31 from the previous day. Another 431 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record.

The report showed Clark County with 13 new cases, 11,976 cases overall; and 181 deaths (none new). Floyd County had 10 new cases, 7,217 overall; 170 deaths (1 new).

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine gives eligible Hoosiers a safe, effective and convenient way to protect themselves from COVID-19, said state Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. 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.

The Indiana Department of Health has also begun planning for a future mass vaccination clinic in Gary in collaboration with local health officials. Additional mass vaccination sites in other locations will be planned as more vaccine becomes available.

All clinics will require advance registration through https://ourshot.in.gov or by calling 211. Proof of age and residency will be required. The mass vaccination clinics are listed as sites that eligible Hoosiers can select when making an appointment. No walk-ups will be permitted.

Indiana's Area Agencies on Aging, AARP and nearly 70 libraries around the state also can help Hoosiers schedule their appointments.

The clinic schedules are as follows:

—Ivy Tech Community College

8204 County Road 311, Sellersburg

March 12-13

8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Participants will remain in their cars for their vaccines.

—Indianapolis Motor Speedway

4790 W. 16th St., Indianapolis

March 5-7

8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Enter through main gate off 16th Street; participants will remain in their cars for their vaccines.

—University of Notre Dame

Compton Family Ice Arena

100 Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame

March 26-27

8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Additional dates may be added to each of the above sites depending on demand and vaccine availability.

A separate advisory with instructions for media interested in covering the clinics will be issued closer to the events.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://ourshot.in.gov.