The Indiana State Department of Health confirms the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine safely arrived in the Hoosier State on Monday morning, with frontline healthcare workers throughout the state now in the process of being vaccinated.
Several healthcare workers were vaccinated on the day of the first shipment's arrival, including a physician, nurse, respiratory therapist, pharmacist, patient care tech and environmental services tech at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne.
Specifically, Parkview and Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville both received initial doses of vaccine Monday morning. The two are among the five pilot hospitals slated to receive the vaccine first. Additional doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, IU Methodist in Indianapolis, and Community Hospital within the next few days, according to ISDH.
Related: Deaconess Scheduled to Administer First COVID-19 Vaccines to Healthcare Workers
“The arrival of vaccine is an incredible milestone in our efforts to end this pandemic,” said Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. “The combination of a vaccine and simple mitigation measures like wearing a mask and keeping your distance will get us through to the other side.”
More than 20,000 Indiana healthcare workers statewide have already registered to get their first dose, with over 50 Indiana hospitals expected to receive a total of 55,575 doses of vaccine by the end of the week.
Frontline healthcare workers and long-term care staff/residents are being prioritized as the first to receive the vaccine. Indiana will open the vaccine to additional groups as more shipments are received.
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine.
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