Indiana Opens Vaccine Eligibility To Hoosiers 30+, Ahead Of Final Expansion March 31

Hoosiers 30 and older can now register for appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, the Indiana Department of Health announced Monday. The state will open eligibility to all Hoosiers 16 and older on Wednesday, March 31.

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.

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 March 15.

Hoosiers with certain underlying health conditions also may be eligible for vaccines:

• active dialysis patients,
• Down syndrome
• post-solid organ transplant recipients
• sickle cell disease patients
• people in treatment for cancers now or in the last three months, or with active primary lung cancer or active hematologic cancers, like lymphoma, leukemia or multiple myeloma.
• 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 announced last week it would open vaccine eligibility to Hoosiers 16 and older on March 31. State officials defended the decision, but did caution appointments may be scheduled several weeks out.

Gov. Eric Holcomb also announced last week the state would be ending its COVID-19 restrictions and mask order on April 6, the day after the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship.

The state opened registration to Hoosiers 40 and older on March 22.

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