Officials Defend Vaccine Rollout After Opening To Hoosiers 70+: 'Our System Is Working'

Lauren Chapman and Brandon Smith

Hoosiers 70 and older can now register for appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The Indiana Department of Health announced the expansion Wednesday.

If you or a loved one falls into that age group, you can register at OurShot.in.gov. If you’re in need of assistance, you can call 211 or one of Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging. 

For those registering online, at the top of the page, there is a muted red bar that reads "Click here to find a vaccination site and register." 

That will redirect you to a map, which lists vaccination sites by county. Select the one closest to you (or your loved one). And then select "Click here to register." Select what group best describes you, and then register for your vaccine.

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

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Indiana state officials say their COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan is working as designed. But there’s still no word on when younger Hoosiers – including front line workers and those with underlying conditions that put them at higher risk – will be able to get it.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box acknowledged the state’s rollout is different from guidance issued this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Our goal is to reduce deaths and hospitalizations and that makes this the right approach," Box said. "Our system is working and we’re going to stick with it.

Box can’t provide a timeline for when more Hoosier populations will be able to get the vaccine.

“We just don’t know when we’re going to get a big bump in our vaccine dosages," Box said. "I mean, we’ve consistently been told, through the end of January, 79,000 doses a week.”

Box said if another vaccine maker – like Johnson & Johnson – gets federal approval, that will help the rollout.

The state opened registration to Hoosiers 80 and older last Friday. The state said it plans to expand it to Hoosiers 60 and older in the near future.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5. Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.