HEALTH DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES CHOICE OF VACCINE AT MASS VACCINATION CLINICS

INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers seeking free COVID-19 vaccines can receive either the Pfizer or Johnson and Johnson vaccine today through Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and beginning tomorrow at the mass vaccination clinic at the former Roosevelt High School in Gary.

The Indiana Department of Health is making both vaccines available at the two mass vaccination sites so that Hoosiers have a choice about which vaccine they receive.

“We want to give Hoosiers every opportunity possible to get vaccinated against COVID-19,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “All three vaccines are safe and effective, but we recognize that some Hoosiers might have a preference for a specific manufacturer. Providing options at these sites can help people who might be on the fence make that life-saving choice to get vaccinated and help us all put this pandemic behind us.”

Hoosiers age 16 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and can do so at one of more than 700 clinics around the state. Appointments are preferred but are not required. To find a location or to schedule a vaccine, visit https://ourshot.in.gov or call 211 if you do not have access to a computer or require assistance.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway clinic will offer the Pfizer vaccine only on Friday as part of family day, in which families with children age 16 and older are encouraged to get vaccinated together. Additional vaccination clinics are being planned at the Speedway for May 10, May 17 and May 24.

The Gary mass vaccination clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until June 2 at the former Roosevelt High School, 2401 Harrison St., Gary, IN 46407. Free transportation to and from the site is available through the Gary Public Transportation Corporation (GPTC) and through a partnership between IU Health and Lyft. Language interpretation and support for those with disabilities, hearing or vision impairments are also available onsite.

a total of 4,068,119 doses have been administered in Indiana. This includes 2,302,877 first doses and 1,765,242 individuals who are fully vaccinated. The fully vaccinated number represents individuals who have received a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and those who received the single Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The health department also announced Tuesday that 867 additional Hoosiers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through testing at state and private laboratories. That brings to 716,306 the number of Indiana residents now known to have had the novel coronavirus following corrections to the previous day’s dashboard.

To date, 12,883 Hoosiers are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, an increase of 13 from the previous day. Another 410 probable deaths have been reported to date based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record.

A total of 3,366,463 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 3,363,801 on Monday. A total of 9,676,561 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26, 2020.