Indiana Health Department To Expand Vaccine Eligibility To 12 And Older Thursday, Pending CDC Recommendation

The Indiana Department of Health will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to 12- to 15-year-olds starting Thursday, pending recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

IDOH said that recommendation is expected Wednesday afternoon.

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The FDA passed emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for that age group on Monday. According to the state health department's website, registration will expand at 8 a.m. Thursday – if the recommendation is favorable.

Hoosiers 16 and 17 years old are currently eligible for the Pfizer vaccine. 

Age and race remain the biggest indicators of whether or not a person has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In each age group 65 and older, according to IDOH data, more than 70 percent of Hoosiers have received at least one vaccine dose. But for Hoosiers 16 to 29, that drops to less than 30 percent.

Contact reporter Darian at dbenson@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @HelloImDarian.