By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

INDIANAPOLIS — Those ages 60-64 are the next in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but when that will begin is still unclear.

During Gov. Eric Holcomb’s weekly COVID-19 press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 10, Indiana State Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lindsay Weaver said the state hoped to allow those in that age group to get the vaccine “as soon as possible.”

“Vaccinating Hoosiers age 60 and older targets a population that accounts for 93% of the deaths here in Indiana,” said Weaver.

After that age group, people 50-59 and those with certain high-risk conditions will be allowed to get it, she said.

A slide run during Weaver’s presentation cited that “82% of Hoosiers with high risk conditions such as COPD, heart failure, coronary artery disease, Type II diabetes and obesity are age 50 and older.”

As for the other conditions, “Our group will include people receiving dialysis, people with sickle cell disease, people who have received a solid organ transplant, individuals with Down syndrome, people who are actively receiving cancer treatment now or within the last three months and people with active primary lung cancer or an active hematologic cancer such as lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma,” said Weaver.

For the latter group, Weaver said the state will work with health care providers and associations assisting those patients to help get them the vaccine.

Weaver said the state would probably allow those in their upper 50s to get the vaccine before those in their lower 50s.