Things are definitely heading in the right direction in terms of a return to some form of normalcy with Tuesday's (March 2nd, 2021) announcement from the Indiana Health Department they are opening eligibility to anyone 55 years of age and older.

The expansion comes just one week after the state opened eligibility to anyone over 60, which can be contributed to the increase and distribution of the vaccine from manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna. The FDA's recent approval of Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine likely means expansion to younger age groups will happen sooner rather than later as well which is great news.

To schedule an appointment, visit ourshot.in.gov, or call 211.

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In other Tri-State COVID news, Deaconess announced Monday they're expanding their waiting list to anyone over the age of 18. The waiting list is different than scheduling an actual appointment in that you don't actually schedule an appointment. Instead, you're signing up to be "on-call," so to speak, for the chance to receive a vaccine at the end of any given day if the clinic has any leftover. This could be due to last-minute cancellations, or missed appointments.

The waiting list does come with some stipulations. While it is open to anyone 18 and over, you must also have one of the following health conditions in order to be eligible:

  • Cancer, undergoing treatment currently (chemotherapy and/or radiation)
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Down Syndrome  (age 16+ eligible; choose age 18 in form)
  • Heart conditions, including heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Immunocompromised state from organ transplant
  • Obesity (BMI of 30 or higher)   (BMI calculator)
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease (age 16+ eligible; choose age 18 in form)
  • Smoking
  • Type 2 diabetes

If one of those apply to you or someone you know, add your name to the waiting list through the Deaconess website. But before you do, know that if you do get a call, you must be able to arrive at the vaccination site within 45 minutes of the call. If not, they'll move on to the next person who can.

[Source: Indiana Health Department]

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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