Vaccine Registration Is Now Available To Hoosiers 45 And Older

Hoosiers 45 and older can now register for appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the Indiana Department of Health announced Tuesday. 

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. About 70 public libraries, AARP and Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging may also be able to help with registration.

OurShot.IN.gov 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.

You will need to bring some form of ID or documentation to confirm your age and that you live in Indiana. For Hoosiers who are eligible because of occupation, you’ll need to bring something to confirm that as well.

Appointments for the second dose will be made at the clinic when the first dose is administered. The state health department encouraged Hoosiers who may struggle finding an appointment to look at sites in other counties.

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

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Some pharmacies through Walmart, Kroger and Meijer also have COVID-19 vaccines available. Walmart pharmacies are using the state's registration at OurShot.in.gov. However, Kroger and Meijer have their own registration systems.

Hoosiers who are eligible for vaccine appointments may schedule them through the stores’ websites – clinic.meijer.com or kroger.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated. 

On Meijer’s website, you’ll fill out a brief questionnaire and then provide your zip code to select a store pharmacy providing vaccines. 

On Kroger’s website, you’ll provide a zip code to see your nearest stores. If the COVID-19 vaccine is available at that store’s pharmacy, it should be at the top of the list. But there isn’t a way to filter out stores that don’t have COVID-19 vaccines.

States receive vaccines from the federal government based on population. Indiana’s population is about 6.7 million Hoosiers. Ohio has 11.7 million, Michigan has just shy of 10 million people, and Kentucky has about 4.5 million. 

The state remains nearly on par with its Midwest neighbors. As of March 16, 19.2 percent of Hoosiers have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose compared to 21 percent in Kentucky, 20.8 percent in Ohio, and 19.9 percent in Michigan.

State vaccination sites opened to pre-K through 12 teachers and staff (including janitors, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and administration) and child care workers on Monday. 

Indiana also expanded its eligible underlying health conditions March 10 to include: 

• Cystic fibrosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• People born with severe heart defects, requiring specialized medical care.
• People with severe type 1 diabetes, who have been hospitalized in the past year.
• Phenylketonuria (PKU), Tay-Sachs, and other rare, inherited metabolic disorders.
• Epilepsy with continuing seizures, hydrocephaly, microcephaly and other severe neurologic disorders
• People with severe asthma who have been hospitalized for this in the past year
• Alpha and beta thalassemia
• Spina bifida
• Cerebral palsy
• People who require supplemental oxygen and/or tracheostomy
• Pulmonary fibrosis, Alpha-1 Antitrypsin
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, combined primary immunodeficiency disorder, HIV, daily use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, receiving tumor necrosis factor-alpha blocker or rituximab.

Health officials said Hoosiers with specific comorbidities should reach out to their primary care providers – after that, they'll be provided a separate registration link.

The state opened registration to Hoosiers 50 and older on March 3.

This story has been updated

Contact Lauren at lchapman@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @laurenechapman_.