By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

INDIANAPOLIS — Initial doses of a COVID-19 vaccine should arrive in Indiana next week.

Eric Holcomb

That was the message from state leaders during Gov. Eric Holcomb’s weekly COVID-19 press conference on Wednesday, Dec. 9.

The state should receive more than 55,000 initial doses of a vaccine made by Pfizer. Five hospitals, including Parkview in Fort Wayne, are to get doses first.

A Federal Drug Administration subcommittee is to vote on the use of the vaccine Thursday, Dec. 10, before the FDA can formally approve emergency authorization of the drug. The state should receive even more doses later on next week, which will go to other hospitals.

Moderna’s vaccine might be approved soon after Pfizer’s, added officials. They said findings show that those vaccinated with both drugs are 95% less likely to get COVID-19 than those who don’t get them.

Doses of the vaccine will be limited to health care workers at first, including employees in nursing homes, and those in long-term facilities.

Afterward, doses of the vaccine should be available to other vulnerable people and other essential workers before the rest of the public.

Additional restrictions

As Indiana’s cases are continuing to rise, Holcomb is putting in place a few additional restrictions.

Starting Wednesday, Dec. 16, and running through Sunday, Jan. 3, hospitals will have to restrict non-emergency procedures in order to free up more hospital beds.

Also county health departments may no longer grant exceptions to those in their counties wanting to have larger social gatherings than what color-coded restrictions dictate. Those restrictions are based on the positivity rate amongst those tested for the virus.

Those in red counties with the worst spread may have only 25 people. Those in orange, the next worst may have 50; those in yellow, the next worst may have 100; and those in blue with the lowest spread may have 250.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 9, all state counties were either red or orange.

Several events do get special exceptions, however.

School activities in red counties may have participants, support personnel and parents/guardians along with their minor children at them. Those in the other counties should limit attendance to 25% of the facility capacity, working with their local health department.

Similar rules are in place for college and professional sports.

Asked about the special exceptions, leaders reiterated that the virus is more likely to spread at private personal gatherings since people are less likely to social-distance and wear a mask there.