(INDIANAPOLIS) – Governor Eric Holcomb opened Wednesday’s COVID-19 update with the positive news of hospitalizations and positivity rates trending down.
Holcomb said he’d like to think this is a result of Hoosiers stepping up to stop the spread.
As of Wednesday, 736,504 Hoosiers have received the first dose of vaccine, and 258,213 are fully vaccinated.
Dr. Kris Box said Indiana will keep the eligible age range for the vaccination the same for now in order to ensure that administered second doses are covered before expanding.
She also explained that 930 cases of the UK coronavirus variant have been seen in 34 states, including 12 cases in Indiana. She said the South Africa and Brazil variants are also more contagious and the state is preparing for cases of those to be found in Indiana.
She knows Hoosiers are tired of hearing it, but Dr. Box encouraged everyone to please keep wearing a mask, practice socially distancing, stay home if you’re sick, and to get tested if you are symptomatic.
Dr. Lindsay Weaver said Indiana will decrease the eligibility floor to ages 60-65 as soon as possible. This age group represents 432,00 people in Indiana.
Dr. Weaver said Hoosiers will see an incremental vaccine expansion to ages 50-59, then to Hoosiers under 50 with certain comorbidities like active dialysis, down syndrome, sickle cell disease, cancer, and organ transplant patients.
Dr. Weaver is excited about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which is a single dose, has less stringent storage requirements, and is reporting an 85 percent efficacy.
Hoosiers were asked to be patient, and know that officials will expand vaccine eligibility as early as possible. Officials will also expand sites and administration programs as soon as Indiana sees more doses arrive.
