Monroe County residents 70 and older now eligible for vaccine

Monroe County, Indiana – Indiana residents 70 years and older now are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination the Monroe County Health Department announced Wednesday at the Monroe County commissioners meeting. Other safety precautions were also discussed, as well as COVID-19 regulations post-vaccine.

Penny Caudill, health administrator with the Monroe County Health Department, led the conversation regarding the state and county’s progress on COVID-19 vaccinations. Monroe County’s vaccination clinic opened Monday and administered 70 vaccinations, Caudill said.

Indiana will now allow citizens 70 and older to sign up to receive the vaccination. Caudill suggests going to the website, ourshot.in.gov, to find a vaccination site and register. Residents can also call 211 to register.

“Available appointments will reflect the number of doses we have available,” she said. “It is necessary that we take an age-based approach, but I assure you, we will get to everyone eventually.”

According to Caudill, age is the top contributing factor to wellness and death in Indiana. In Monroe County, citizens 70 and older account for 86% of deaths. This is the reason for the age-based vaccination approach, she said.

Citizens should be aware that the vaccination is free of charge, and anyone claiming one must pay to receive the vaccine is not an authentic health-care provider. Insurance information is collected at the time of vaccination, but is not a requirement.

“After the first dose of the vaccination, we will schedule you for your second dose at the same location,” Caudill said. “Please, please take advantage of your chance to get vaccinated.”