The vaccine can help protect you as well as your loved ones and those around you from getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) has the most current information on who is eligible to receive a vaccine in Indiana based on age and vulnerability to illness. Eligibility for the vaccine is being updated on a continuing basis as state health authorities strive to vaccinate communities as responsibly, safely and effectively as possible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have installed multiple safeguards to ensure that a COVID-19 vaccine is safe for the targeted demographic, including clinical trials and safety monitoring, as well as communication methods such as text messaging and web surveys, to stay in contact with vaccine recipients and ensure the vaccine is performing effectively. You can read more about the CDC's efforts to monitor and assure the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine here.

Vaccines are already being given to frontline healthcare workers and to vulnerable populations. If you are not in one of these groups, we expect widespread vaccinations to be available this spring. The vaccination site for Hendricks and Putnam counties is the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds. As more information becomes available, please check back with us to learn more about how to sign up for a vaccination. 

After receiving the vaccine, you will be observed for 15 minutes to ensure your safety. You will also receive an appointment to return and receive a second dose of the vaccine. Under current guidance, the vaccine is fully effective only after you’ve received the second vaccination, so it is highly important to receive the second dose.

These vaccines introduce harmless molecules to your body that trigger your immune system to help stop the coronavirus. This helps you build up antibodies that are ready to fight the virus without making you sick with it.

While most vaccines introduce a tiny piece of weakened virus to your immune system, the two approved COVID vaccines are different. They are called mRNA vaccines and they send your cells a message that triggers an effective immune response against COVID. These vaccines do not change your DNA in any way and, while new, have been proven to be safe.

Based on clinical results, both of the FDA-approved vaccines are about 95% effective in preventing new COVID infections.

Most people can expect very minor side effects, such as injection site soreness or headache, that go away after a day or two. More serious side effects such as allergic reaction are extremely rare, but this is why you must stay 15 minutes for observation. Learn more about vaccine side effects here.

With most COVID-19 vaccines, you will need two shots in order for them to work, and it takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines that require two shots may not protect you until a week or two after your second shot.

No vaccine is 100% effective, and we don’t fully understand whether these vaccines will keep you from transmitting the virus even if you are protected. Continue to use all the tools available to help stop this pandemic: Cover your mouth and nose with a mask, stay at least six feet from others, avoid crowds and wash your hands often.

The vaccine is not mandatory to receive; however, it helps to ensure that you and those close to you, as well as your community, will not contract serious illnesses from COVID-19. This vaccine could be exactly what we need to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

We recommend checking out the CDC website for more information:
CDC: Benefits of Getting a COVID Vaccine
CDC: How COVID-19 Vaccinations Work
CDC: Myths and Misconceptions about COVID-19 Vaccine
For vaccine updates specific to Indiana, check out the IN.gov vaccine information and planning page.