Indiana lowers COVID-19 vaccine eligibility age to 50

Indiana has lowered the eligibility age for vaccinations to 50, marking the second time this week the eligibility age was lowered, Gov. Eric Holcomb said at a press conference Wednesday. Vaccination eligibility age was previously lowered to 55 on Tuesday.

Lowering the vaccination age to 50 opens the doors for 412,000 additional Indiana residents to become vaccinated, according to a report by WLFI.

Holcomb said Indiana had surpassed one million vaccinations, nearly a year after the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Indiana on March 6, 2020.

Holcomb also said there is a proposal from the federal government which would prioritize vaccinating teachers. The proposal, which Holcomb said had not been finalized, would prioritize the vaccination of teachers using vaccines provided directly by the federal government and administered in pharmacies at Meijer, Kroger and Walmart.

Indiana State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said the number of daily hospitalizations  in Indiana from COVID-19 had fallen below 100.

Box said the state of Indiana would be receiving 145,000 new doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 128,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 54,000 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week. She also said that Indiana would not be receiving any more Johnson & Johnson vaccines for a few weeks.

Box said the state intends to continue lowering the age of eligibility for vaccinations as weeks progress. There are also preliminary plans to expand vaccinations to individuals undergoing dialysis, cancer treatment or have  Down syndrome, she said.