Montgomery County hopes to start administering COVID-19 vaccines next week, health officer Dr. Scott Douglas said.
Local health departments are expecting their first shipments of the Moderna vaccine as the state places the oldest Hoosiers at the front of the line for the shots.
“We don’t know for sure how many doses we’re going to get but we’ve been told that it’s not going to be nearly what we expected or what we were hoping for, but we’re going to be prepared to get whatever we can,” Douglas said, speaking on WCDQ-FM’s “5 O’Clock Report” Wednesday.
Starting at 9 a.m. today, those 80 and older can schedule an appointment by going to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine website at www.ourshot.in.gov or calling 211.
The vaccine will be rolled out to those 70 and older and then 60 and older as supplies are available.
In Montgomery County, the shots will be administered at a vaccination site in the former Save A Lot building on South Boulevard. The county health department leased the building rent-free for three months to distribute the vaccine.
The Moderna vaccine requires two doses four weeks apart. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring side effects in vaccine recipients who voluntarily participate in a surveillance program.
Mostly mild side effects such as temporary pain at the injection site, headache and fatigue have been reported. Less than a half a percent of those vaccinated experience serious side effects, Douglas said.
Healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents began getting vaccinated last month. As of Tuesday, 323 Montgomery County residents have received their first dose, according to the state’s vaccination dashboard. None had been fully vaccinated.
