COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Bartholomew County Health Department has received 200 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and is now scheduling appointments to administer them to people that state health officials have deemed eligible.
Currently, the vaccine is available to individuals ages 80 or older, as well as to licensed and unlicensed healthcare workers and first responders who have face-to-face interactions with patients or infectious material or work in a public-facing position that requires in-person contact.
Appointments can be made at ourshot.in.gov or calling 211. Individuals can also contact Thrive Alliance at 812-372-6918, Mill Race Center at 812-376-9241 or WellConnect at 812-376-5136 for help registering. State health officials have said family members can register online on behalf of seniors.
State health officials are urging Hoosiers to be “patient” when attempting to sign up via the website or the 211 phone system, as “high interest in COVID-19 vaccines has caused slowdowns.”
The vaccination registration website and phone system for went live Friday at 9 a.m. and quickly got bogged down by people trying to schedule appointments, including in Bartholomew County.
WellConnect was overwhelmed with phone calls, receiving more than 100 during the first couple of hours, said Columbus Regional Health spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue.
Additionally, more than 25 people attempted to walk into CRH’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Columbus even though vaccinations can only be given by appointment after registering on the state’s website.
“We would encourage people to not attempt to walk in because we can’t accommodate any walk-ins whatsoever, and that’s simply because per state mandate people must be registered through the state to receive (vaccines),” DeClue said.
A total of 33,500 Hoosiers age 80 or older registered statewide for free COVID-19 vaccines between 9 and 11:30 a.m. Friday, the first day of eligibility for this age group. Among those registering, 21,000 people scheduled appointments in the first 90 minutes after registration opened. More than 53,000 Hoosiers age 80 or older scheduled appointments by 4 p.m. Friday
By mid-afternoon Friday, the Bartholomew County Health Department had run out of appointment slots, according to the registration website.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
