Beginning next week, all Indiana teachers and school staff will be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine at any location.
Last week,teachers were made eligible through a federal program. They were restricted to signing up at Kroger, Meijer, and Walmart which caused issues. The federal government stepped in because the state continued to keep teachers off the eligibility list. That changed during Gov. Eric Holcomb's weekly address on Wednesday.
"We had a plan. We were executing that plan very methodically. I would use the word perfectly or flawlessly," Holcomb said. "We made, per our federal partners, that vaccination available. They made it available through the federal pharmacy program, but they have also since directed, required states to prioritize teachers."
In her first year of teaching, Maya Davis said she's just happy to finally be able to get vaccinated to keep her students safe.
"I was most worried that I'm very safe in my personal life, but what if I had something and I exposed my whole classroom to it? I couldn't help but feel that if I were contagious, it would get everybody. That's why I've been so excited to get vaccinated as soon as I can," Davis said. "I'm on multiple lists and I keep checking appointments all the time."
Davis is a band director. She teaches behind plexiglass and stays far from her students. She said none of that will change once she's vaccinated.
"I'm so excited mostly to feel safer about the way I've been doing my job." Davis said. "Nothing is going to change in terms of the way we've been teaching all year, finish the year the same way, super distant, but I think we'll all feel a little bit better about what we've been doing the whole time."
Pre-K through high school teachers, administrators, staff, bus drivers, counselors and licensed childcare providers are included in the state's eligibility beginning Monday, March 15. They can sign up through the state's system at ourshot.in.gov or by calling 211
