December 30, 2020

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Issues Pop Up Across Indiana

Article origination IPBS-RJC
Hoosier health care workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine. - Courtesy of the Indiana Department of Health

Hoosier health care workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Courtesy of the Indiana Department of Health

Rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Indiana remains focused on frontline health care workers and nursing home residents. That’s even as some hospitals are reportedly vaccinating people much further down the priority list, like teachers.

Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Indiana Department of Health chief medical officer, said the state is telling hospitals to verify that they’re giving the vaccine to the people identified as most in-need right now.

“But I’ve also communicated to them is to have a list for the end of the day, that if they have any additional vaccines – whether it even be three – and they can’t find a health care provider at hand to put it into, that they go ahead and put the vaccine into people,” Weaver said.

READ MORE: How Will Indiana Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines? Here's What You Need To Know

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Weaver said the state will launch a dashboard as soon as Wednesday, updated weekly, on how many Hoosiers have been vaccinated.

“To date, no vaccine has gone to waste or expired,” Weaver said.

Some health departments report not getting the vaccine allocation they expected. Weaver said the state is telling local departments to be on standby.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

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