By Tabby Fitzgerald

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—More than a year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with multiple vaccines available, Indiana’s vaccination rates have stalled. The Indiana Department of Health held its first COVID-19 conference since May 7 on Friday morning to discuss an uptick in infections and urge Hoosiers to get vaccinated.

Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lindsay Weaver led the meeting, reporting that the state’s positivity rate has increased by 1.1% in the past month.

“Obviously we’re disappointed. We would rather be higher with our percentage of fully vaccinated individuals,” Box said. “We knew there would come a time when we would go from people very anxious to get the vaccine and are not having enough to a time when we were really working very hard to get that next individual to be vaccinated.”

According to Weaver, 2.9 million Hoosiers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, representing 49% of the eligible population age 12 and older, with 5.7 million doses administered across the state.

According to Box, there have been 2,700 breakthrough cases among vaccinated Hoosiers, with 132 requiring hospitalization and 46 deaths. Ninety-one percent of deaths from breakthrough cases occurred in those over 65.

Among all the states, Indiana ranks 33rd for fully vaccinated citizens, according to a report by Becker’s Hospital Review.

As the pandemic continues, concerns about variants have risen. The B117 variant (alpha) that originated in the United Kingdom is still the most detected variant to date. Although the delta variant, first seen in India, is now becoming more widespread, Box says the state health department is not currently planning any further restrictions at the state level. However, local public health officials can make their own decisions based on infection rates in their area, she said.

Box recommends that Hoosiers who are unvaccinated wear a mask when indoors. Although there are not any statewide mandates, Box said she wants each county and school to have the ability to make the decision of requiring masks for themselves based on what is needed.

“I can tell you from having done this now for 15 or 16, however many months it’s been, that people come down about half and half,” Box said. “If you mandate masks, 50% of people are angry; if you don’t mandate masks, 50% of people are angry. And I understand. I think no one should be criticized.”

Starting July 1, individual Indiana schools are allowed to determine how they would like to handle the approaching academic year. Box says that the health department will continue to monitor changes in COVID-19 activity and act as a resource for schools and local health departments as “we navigate this next chapter of the pandemic.”

Weaver stressed that the COVID-19 vaccination is Hoosiers’ best form of protection.

“As a physician, I will continue to urge any parent who has a child aged 12 and older to consider getting their child vaccinated, especially before school starts,” Weaver said. “It provides protection to your child and others.”

Health officials are currently looking to find ways to increase vaccination numbers. For the summer, they are increasing access to getting the vaccine by identifying large summer festivals and other popular events taking place throughout Indiana and offering mobile clinics at those locations.

FOOTNOTE: Tabby Fitzgerald is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

This story was updated to clarify and add information about the delta variant.