INDIANAPOLIS — Have you gotten your “Fauci Ouchie” yet? If so, you are one of the over 2,396,000 Hoosiers who have had at least one shot of the three COVID-19 vaccines. As of March 21, over 945,000 individuals have been fully vaccinated. Vaccinations started in mid-December of 2020.
On March 23, the state announced that individuals 16 and older are eligible for the vaccine. In addition, educators are eligible through programs administered by Walmart, Kroger, and Meijer store. If you have medical conditions that put you at greater risk for COVID-19 complications, you are also eligible tor receive the vaccine. Visit ourshot.in.gov for more information about who is eligible for the vaccine or call 211.
With three vaccines in use — Pfizer-BioNTech, Modern, and Johnson & Johnson Janssen — many Hoosiers are finding appointments easier to get at hundreds of sites throughout the state. The mass vaccination event at the Speedway was a resounding success, with thousands going through the drive-through (perhaps to get a peek at the iconic raceway as much as to get the shot).
Not only are more people getting vaccinated, fewer people are getting sick —and dying — from COVID-19. As of March 21, the state has received fewer cases per day of the disease, dropping significantly from the early December highs of 6,545 to fewer than 1,000. Deaths peaked in December 2020 (averaging over 100 per day), and are now are averaging fewer than 10 per day.
Despite the progress made in the past few months, the vaccination numbers are still too low to achieve what the scientists call “herd immunity.” Simply stated, if enough people in a community are protected from getting the disease (either because they’ve had the disease or been vaccinated), it is difficult to spread the disease person to person. Even those who cannot be vaccinated, such as those with an allergy to the vaccine or infants, are protected. It is unknown how many will need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
There is also some disinformation about the vaccine floating around. First, the vaccine does not carry the COVID-19 virus itself, but instead teaches the body to recognize and fight the disease. The COVID-19 vaccines will NOT alter your DNA. Two of the vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are mRNA vaccines, which teach cells how to make a protein that triggers immune response. It never enters the nucleus of a cell, which is where the DNA is stored. There is also no evidence that the vaccine will create any problems with pregnancy or childbirth in the future.
Even with all the good news about vaccines and decreasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, Indiana is still in the midst of a pandemic. The state has issued a mask mandate and it has not been lifted, so you must wear a face mask (covering the mouth and nose) in public at all times. The CDC also recommends washing your hands frequently with soap and water, and maintaining social distancing of six feet when around people not in your “bubble.”
If you have been vaccinated, please visit the Indiana Vaccination Portal to get your vaccination certificate using Access Indiana at in.gov/access/available-services
