The Bartholomew County Health Department had 1,300 COVID-19 Moderna vaccine doses available Saturday in a mass vaccination clinic at the fairgrounds.
Appointments were scheduled every 10 minutes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Pavilion building for the Moderna vaccine, which requires two shots at least 28 days apart for individuals to be fully vaccinated.
There was no cost for the vaccinations although health officials requested individuals bring a photo ID and an insurance card if they had one.
The Moderna vaccine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for those age 18 and older. Indiana currently is allowing those age 16 and older to sign up for vaccine appointments, but only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been found in trials to be 94 to 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 infections, according to the federal government.
The mass vaccination clinic locally was scheduled as Indiana lifted many of its pandemic restrictions, including its mask mandate.
In a statement last week, Bartholomew County Health Officer Dr. Brian Niedbalski said it was extremely important for the Bartholomew County community to continue wearing masks in public places where close contact with individuals outside your households. He also strongly encouraged local businesses and entities to require mask wearing for customers and staff even as the mask mandate was lifted.
Vaccination sites in Bartholomew County are required to continue to utilize masks as the pandemic continues.
For more information about executive orders about the pandemic, visit in.gov/gov.
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To view more photos from the clinic, visit therepublic.com.
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