An effort to help Hoosiers with developmental disabilities get the COVID-19 vaccine gets underway Monday.
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Dr. Jennifer Sullivan says its Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services is partnering with the Indiana Department of Health, Walgreens, and other providers to vaccinate those living in residential programs.
“Launching next week, this team is poised to vaccinate approximately 5,000 individuals by the end of the month,” Sullivan said during Wednesday’s COVID-19 press conference. “Once this initial effort is complete, this team will begin plans to reach other Hoosiers with developmental disabilities who receive support through our Home- and Community-Based Services program.”
During Wednesday’s press conference, Dr. Sullivan discussed the many efforts taking place to make sure any eligible Hoosier who wants the vaccine is able to get it. She said Indiana 211 agents had scheduled more than 119,000 appointments and answered nearly 412,000 calls. Area agencies on aging have been asked to call every eligible Hoosier who’d gotten services from them, and have registered almost 7,000.
On top of that, AARP, providers of Medicaid managed care plans, United Ways, the Indiana Red Cross, and other organizations have been helping to get the word out. Sullivan noted that Indiana’s libraries have also stepped up to help. “For generations, libraries have been places where you can find some of the least appreciated, most knowledgeable, and most helpful professionals in your community: librarians,” Sullivan said. “Special thanks to the executive director of the Indiana Library Federation, Lucinda Nord, for arranging a training for librarians, so now libraries statewide are also places where you can get help registering for your COVID-19 vaccination and find a computer and internet access.”
Sullivan said more than 1,300 library employees have been trained to help with vaccine registration.
