Indiana Hopes All Health Workers, Nursing Home Residents Get Vaccine By End Of Month

Indiana health officials say they hope to make a COVID-19 vaccine available to every health care worker and nursing home resident in the state by the end of December.

Drug makers Pfizer and Moderna are currently awaiting federal authorization for their vaccines.

Indiana Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lindsay Weaver said the state hopes to get initial shipments as early as mid-December.

“That first week, our allocation is going to be smaller," Weaver said. "But then the next week, our goal – if we get the amount of vaccine that we’re hoping to get or that we have projected out through December – we’ll go ahead and open it up to all of our health care providers across the entire state.”

Weaver said the state will have more, detailed information next week about vaccine distribution.

“A lot about who we’re going to start vaccinating will depend on how much vaccine we get, when we’ll be getting it and what is the safety and efficacy for that vaccine,” Weaver said.

The state will not mandate anyone get the vaccine.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.