Mike Wolanin | The Republic Adhesive labels show how the time and date is marked as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is prepared for injection at a Columbus Regional Health facility in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020.
Local health officials are monitoring demand for COVID-19 booster shots after federal authorities broadened eligibility to all adults, but do not currently have plans to expand their clinics’ hours of operation.
Columbus Regional Health officials said the hospital system, which operates a standalone vaccination site at 1702 Keller Ave., is prepared to expand the clinic’s schedule if necessary but no decisions have been made yet.
There were openings for appointments on Tuesday and through the remainder of the holiday week, according to the state’s online COVID-19 vaccination portal, ourshot.in.gov.
“There are no specific plans at this time to expand hours at the Keller Clinic, but we continue to monitor demand and will adjust hours if needed,” said CRH spokesman Joel Philippsen.
The Bartholomew County Health Department, which operates a vaccination clinic at its office at 2625 Fox Pointe Drive, has been seeing steady demand for boosters and doesn’t foresee that changing, said Amanda Organist, the department’s director of nursing.
However, the department is not planning to expand hours at this time, Organist said.
“We have had several clinics provided by the state strike team to help with demand,” Organist said. “We continue to have appointments available at each of our clinics.”
Currently, nearly 10,400 Bartholomew County residents have received a booster shot — or about 12% of the county’s total population and nearly 23% of those who are fully vaccinated, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
Overall, 45,749 eligible Bartholomew County residents were fully vaccinated as of Monday morning, or 59% of those eligible.
Vaccine appointments can be scheduled at ourshot.in.gov.
