Indiana’s vaccine rollout is rapidly evolving, and advocacy groups are working to make sure people who want the vaccine know how to get it.
Indiana is following the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for vaccine distribution by vaccinating residents in tiered priority groups.
Addison Pollock, director of community engagement for AARP Indiana, said that now includes health-care providers, front-line essential workers and people age 65-plus.
“We’re lucky because some of our most vulnerable members of our society are getting the vaccine first,” Pollock said.
Marla Pollock-Cramer, an AARP volunteer from Carmel, is on a small team that’s calling older adults to make sure they have the information they need about the vaccine.
“Some people are not comfortable with it and that’s fine; we’re not there to push them,” Pollock-Cramer said. “But the overwhelming majority are eager to get the vaccine.”
Appointments at local health departments can be made by calling 211, or online at coronavirus.in.gov.
Roughly 216,000 Hoosiers are fully vaccinated, and almost 700,000 have received their first dose. And 67% of the doses distributed to Indiana have been
administered.
Older adults are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19, so Pollock noted AARP volunteers are armed with the knowledge to dispel some misconceptions about the vaccine.
“They appreciate a friendly voice, a peer-to-peer connection, reminding them about the vaccine and that it’s available,” Pollock said. “And we’re just hoping to be that trusted partner, wise friend who’s getting accurate information out.”
He added anyone with concerns should talk to their doctor about the safety, effectiveness, benefits and risks of the COVID-19 vaccines. AARP will continue to monitor the distribution, and has a vaccine guide online at aarp.org/INvaccine.
