INDIANAPOLIS — Tens of thousands of elderly Hoosiers registered for the COVID-19 vaccine Friday and some had problems early.
More than 75,000 people aged 80 and over signed up to receive the vaccine between 9 a.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.
High demand to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine registration portal caused the website to slow down Friday morning.
The site, ourshot.in.gov, and the 211 system are still working, the Indiana State Department of Health said. The site to register for vaccinations opened Friday at 9 a.m.
Our vaccine registration site is experiencing high volume at this time. Please be patient and check back later.
— Indiana Department of Health (@StateHealthIN) January 8, 2021
Any Hoosiers age 80 and older are eligible to register for the vaccine through either method. A caregiver or loved one also may make an appointment on behalf of an eligible senior. The health department encourages eligible Hoosiers trying to sign up to check back later to access their registration.
“We are gratified by the high interest in vaccine registration for our most vulnerable Hoosiers and encourage everyone to be patient,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box. “We anticipated these scenarios on the first day and have a system in place to address them as quickly as possible.”
Individuals age 80 and older account for less than 4% of the state’s population but represent more than 19% of the hospitalizations and more than half of the COVID-19 deaths in the state, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
There is at least one vaccine clinic in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. Vaccines are free, but insurance may be charged an administrative fee. Appointments for the second dose will be made at the clinic when the first dose is administered.
MORE | Seniors over the age of 80 will begin getting vaccinated Friday
