INDIANAPOLIS – COVID-19 booster shots from Pfizer are now going into the arms of eligible Hoosiers.
Health officials across the state say they’ve already seen high demand, especially among older adults.
At the Wayne County Health Department, vaccinations have at least quadrupled since last week, according to Executive Director Christine Stinson.
“We’ve already seen 50 people today, which is a big increase for our small health department,” Stinson said.
And health departments across Indiana are seeing or anticipating similar demand.
“We had an event at the fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday this weekend – we did about 220 vaccines, and most of those were boosters,” said Roni Elder, health educator and media coordinator for the Vigo County Health Department.
“We think for the next couple months that we will see a similar demand as we did closer to the beginning, just for a bit,” said Mindy Waldron, department administrator for the Allen County Department of Health.
You need to have received the Pfizer vaccine for your first two doses to get the booster shot. Eligible groups include anyone age 65 and over, people age 18 and older with underlying medical conditions, adult residents of long-term care settings and adults whose work puts them at higher risk for COVID-19. This includes several professions, such as health care workers, first responders and teachers.
“We know there’s a lot of pent-up demand amongst our health care workers … particularly as we’ve started to see that immunity apparently waning and we’re seeing more breakthrough infections,” said Dr. Christopher Doehring, vice president of medical affairs for Franciscan Health.
Some providers, such as the Allen County Department of Health, are looking to bring back larger vaccination clinics similar to those open earlier in the pandemic.
With 55% of Hoosiers age 12 and older fully vaccinated, some believe getting more people their first and second doses is a more urgent need.
“If we’re going to really stop the pandemic, we’ve got to get the primary series in there,” Stinson said.
Booster shots are not available right now for people who have gotten the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine and how to find a provider, click here.