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While Indiana lags behind many other states in the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations, incarcerated Hoosiers are accepting the vaccine at a higher rate than the general population.
As of May 24, the Indiana Department of Corrections says it has a 78 percent acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine among incarcerated inmates.
IDOC Spokesperson Annie Goeller said 13,143 offenders received their first shot and of those 6,829 received their second shot.
Goeller said it’s difficult to track how many DOC staff have received the vaccine because many of them are vaccinated at outside facilities such as hospitals, doctors’ offices and pharmacies.
The Miami Correctional Facility, which reported 6 inmate deaths and 1 staff death due to COVID-19, reported 55 percent of inmates taking their first vaccine and 28 percent getting their second shot.
Goeller said the Indiana National Guard is assisting with distributing the COVID-19 vaccine at the state’s 21 correctional facilities.
Forty-six percent of Indiana’s population over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated as of June 1 according to the Indiana Department of Health’s website.
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