FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WFFT) -- People waited their turn at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday, the first day the site was open, to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Eighty-two-year-old Marlene Schrader says she was excited to get the shot on Wednesday so her life can return to normal.
FOX 55: Tracking the COVID-19 Vaccine
"I’m glad because I wanted to get the virus shot as soon as I could. I’m 82 and I’m just ready to live life again, be with my friends and family," Schrader explained.
The demand for the vaccine has been high among eligible age groups.
The Indiana State Department of Health said at their weekly briefing that nearly 60,000 people age 70 to 79 signed up Wednesday to get the jab and some of them only became eligible 12 hours prior.
Lindsay Weaver, MD, Chief Medical Officer with the state department of health says they track how many people of a certain age live in a county and how many have gotten the vaccine.
To-date 100,000 people age 80 and over have scheduled the first dose and 20,000 have scheduled the second, so the state feels confident enough people got the vaccine to expand the age group without running out of supply.
"That’s also how we’re determining weather or not we’re ready to move forward because, again, we don’t want to kind of wait for an entire population to get vaccinated before we start moving on to the other," Dr. Weaver said.
Aging & In Home Services of Northeast Indiana helps thousands of people now eligible for the vaccine.
President an CEO Connie Benton Wolfe says they’ve received dozens of calls just today to answer questions about the vaccine.
"There has been a number of questions about how people get registered for the vaccine and where the locations are within the various counties," Wolfe explained. "There are questions we’re getting from people who are homebound and who are concerned that if they can’t get out to a site, how they would receive the vaccine."
Schrader says she has a suggestion for those who are wary of getting the vaccine, "Get it. It is so quick. You don’t have to wait, just after you get the shot. It’s painless and it’ll relieve you."
If you or someone you know is trying to schedule a covid-19 vaccine but are having troubles, the state provided some tips to help with common issues.
- If you’re registering using the 211 number, they say call volume is highest in the morning, so try calling again in the afternoon if you can’t get through.
- If you’re using the ourshot.in.gov website and having troubles, trying refreshing the webpage.
- If you see the site in your county doesn’t have available appointments, the state suggests looking in nearby counties and scheduling there.
- You cannot get this vaccine at your primary care doctor, you have to register on the state website and use the designated location.
