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Vaccine Information and Planning

COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Indiana

The vaccination of Hoosiers against COVID-19 has begun. Any Indiana resident age 50 and older is now eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment, as are long-term care residents, first responders (firefighters, police officers and sheriff’s deputies, emergency medical services, reservists and correctional officers) who are regularly called to the scene of an emergency to give medical aid, and licensed and unlicensed healthcare workers who have in-person contact with patients or infectious material in any healthcare setting.

Hoosiers age 50 and older can schedule a vaccination at the link in the red bar above or by calling 211 if they do not have access to a computer or need assistance registering. Eligible professionals must also live in Indiana and should have received an invitation and registration link from their employer, professional association, or the State of Indiana (Indiana Department of Health, Professional Licensing Agency, Family & Social Services Administration, Department of Homeland Security, or another state agency). If you are eligible and haven’t received an invitation, please ask your employer.

Indiana is using an age-based strategy for vaccine eligibility to have the greatest impact on preventing hospitalizations and death from COVID-19. Please be patient, as vaccine supply is limited. Additional groups will be eligible as soon as vaccine supplies permit.

Who is eligible to receive vaccine?

If you are an Indiana resident and answer yes to any of these questions, you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine:

  • Are you age 50 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?

Initial groups of patients at highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 who are identified by their healthcare provider are also eligible. These individuals will receive a unique registration link by text or email, or may call 211 after receiving the notification:

  • Active dialysis patients
  • Sickle cell disease patients
  • Down syndrome
  • Post-solid organ transplant
  • People who are actively in treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) for cancer now or in the last three months, or with active primary lung cancer or active hematologic cancers (lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma)

Please contact your healthcare provider if you think you are eligible but haven’t yet received notification.

Click here for a list of who is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  If you are eligible, click here to register and make an appointment. Proof of eligibility will be required at the time of vaccination. The timeline for additional phases of vaccine administration is yet to be determined. Check back here frequently for updates.

Received the vaccine? Make sure you sign up for the v-safe after vaccination health checker.

Click here if you are fully vaccinated and need a vaccination certificate.

Have a question about COVID-19 vaccine? Search our Frequently Asked Questions.

To filter the FAQ lists below, please type in a keyword or phrase in the search field. Once you start typing the lists below will show only relevant results.

Vaccine Safety

Vaccine Scheduling and Registration

Vaccine Administration

Schedule Second Dose

Other Vaccine Questions

About the vaccine

Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), and additional vaccines are being developed by other manufacturers. The EUA process has allowed for clinical trials and manufacturing to occur simultaneously, while still allowing for rigorous testing to determine how safe and effective it is.

  1. Safety is top priority.
    The first goal is to focus on the safety of the vaccine and determining how effective it is. Before any vaccine is released, it must first complete three phases of clinical trials to study its effect on thousands of diverse study participants. Once that study is done, the pharmaceutical company submits the results for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. FDA. This is a way to make important health breakthroughs available to the public quickly.

    The vaccine is then reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP is a federal advisory committee of medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the U.S. public.

    The next step before the vaccine is available is for the Indiana Department of Health’s Vaccine Allocation Plan Development Advisory Group to make final recommendations on the ethical and equitable allocation of a limited COVID-19 vaccine.
     
  2. There will be a limited vaccine supply at first.

    Vaccines by Pfizer (click here for Spanish version), Moderna (click here for Spanish version) and Johnson & Johnson are now available. Some groups will be recommended to get a COVID-19 vaccine first. We have set up a phased-in approach to determine who is eligible for vaccine first based on the most effective way to reduce the impact of COVID-19. The Pfizer vaccine is not initially available for children under age 16 or younger than age 18 for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Early clinical trials of the vaccine show no adverse effects for pregnant women, but if you’re pregnant, you should have a conversation with a healthcare provider to see if it’s right for you.

    Already received the vaccine? Make sure you’re on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s v-safe after vaccination health checker.

  3. The vaccine will be free.
    Vaccine providers can bill a patient’s insurance for a fee to administer the vaccine, but will not be able to charge the patient. Providers can seek reimbursement for uninsured patients from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.
     
  4. Prevent the spread of COVID-19 until vaccine is available to everyone.
    The vaccine is in limited supply at first and won’t be widely available until next year. Until there is enough vaccine for everyone, it’s crucial for you to continue to take these steps that we can do now to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
    • Wear a mask to protect yourself and others
    • Stay at least 6 feet apart (about 2 arm lengths)
    • Practice good hand hygiene by washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizer
    • Isolate yourself if you’re sick and stay home if you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19
    • Clean frequently touched surfaces often

Vaccine Information:

Use your smartphone to tell CDC about any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. You’ll also get reminders if you need a second vaccine dose.

vsafe

Indiana’s Vaccine Advisory Groups

Indiana has worked with partners from across the state develop a vaccination plan. The goal was to get input from a variety of experts in a number of areas, including infectious disease, hospitals and health care, education, faith-based communities, pharmacies, organizations serving minorities and those with disabilities, local health departments and others.

Vaccine Allocation Plan Development Advisory Group: Provided final recommendations on the ethical and equitable allocation of a limited COVID-19 vaccine. This group remains available to assemble as adjustments to the plan are needed as we learn how much vaccine we will receive and review the research about how safe and effective the vaccine is.

Ethical Considerations Advisory Group: Reviewed existing documents and assisted in writing and reviewing ethical approaches to vaccine allocation. This group founded its recommendations with the goals to decrease overall deaths, reduce the spread of COVID-19, make sure limited resources are used responsibly, and support healthcare systems to ensure that they have the resources needed to administer vaccine, treat disease and protect vulnerable populations in a fair, equitable manner.

Vaccine Review Advisory Group: This group will investigate available information on each COVID-19 vaccine and will specifically review the safety profile and efficacy of each population of interest (those at clinical risk and demographic factors).

Equitable Distribution and Communication Advisory Group: Worked to ensure that all Hoosiers were considered and represented as a component of the vaccine allocation plan. Advised on key components of communication.

Data Advisory Group: Explored creative data resources and compiled Indiana-specific data for critical populations.

Vaccination Program Implementation Committee: External committee facilitated by the Indiana Department of Health’s (IDOH) State Health Commissioner with representation from state and local government organizations, private sectors, tribes, healthcare, education, and critical infrastructure.

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This site was last updated 3/03/2021 2:35 PM