Statewide — During Governor Eric Holcomb’s weekly COVID-19 press briefing, state health officials released new information on the state’s initial plans for a COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
Dr. Lindsay Weaver, Chief Medical Officer, said the federal government is telling them to prepare for a vaccine as early as mid-November, which is about two weeks away. Indiana does not know if that timeline will be accurate, and they do not know how many vaccines the state will receive according to Dr. Weaver. Health care workers are said to be the first to receive the vaccine.
State health officials said every state must identify one to five sites to serve as pilots for the initial distribution. They have surveyed every hospital system in the state for their ability to immunize not only their staff but also additional health care providers in their area. Indiana expects to have the five sites initially that represent all geographic regions of the state.
Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana State Department of Health Commissioner reports that the State saw an increase in deaths in the month of October. She reports that 551 were people over the age of 70 or older, but the state also saw 21 deaths of individuals under the age of 50 and that those 21 deaths occurred in the last two weeks of October.
Last week the Governor directed the National Guard to help in the state’s long-term care facilities across the state. The first group began training last week and arrived in facilities this week. All 534 long-term care facilities will be assisted by the National Guard by the end of the month.
