INDIANAPOLIS––Some homebound Hoosiers are still waiting for their COVID-19 vaccine shot after being “waitlisted” for months.
For Julie Hornback, the wait for a vaccine has been agonizing.
“I’m homebound, I’m handicap and use a walker,” Hornback said. “I chose to stay home and I would have been able to get out sooner if I had got vaccinated sooner.”
She was placed on a waitlist in White County back in March.
“I didn’t hear anything from them until about a week ago,” Hornback said. “That’s what frustrated me, I know I’m not the only person on the list.”
Several homebound seniors across Indiana have reached out to us, saying they too haven’t been vaccinated despite being put on a waitlist months ago.
So what’s causing the delay?
The White County Health Department says it provides the vaccines for EMS to administer shots to those who are homebound but added, quote, “Because this is a cooperative effort between health departments and EMS, it has taken longer to get the mechanisms in place to accomplish the goal.”
“If someone really is having a hard time getting vaccinated, they can call 211 and help them schedule,” said Melissa McMasters, an Infectious Disease Expert with yhe Marion County Health Department.
“Anyone who is homebound is having a significant medical issue,” McMasters said. “On the flipside, they are homebound and not in public.”
Hornback will receive her first dose tomorrow, breathing a sigh of relief after months of waiting.
Henry County
Homebound residents can contact Henry County Lifestream Services at (800) 589-1121 to request an appointment.
Hamilton County
Any homebound residents wishing to receive their vaccination will still need to register with FSSA through CICOA by calling 317-254-5465 or click here.
Johnson County
Homebound individuals who are eligible for the vaccine can call CICOA at -317-803-6131 to be added to a list for in-home vaccine appointments provided by EMS or local clinics.
Wayne County
We have vaccinated everyone in Wayne County on the Homebound Hoosiers portal. If transportation is a barrier for anyone living in Wayne County to get the vaccine, they contact the health department for assistance at 765-973- 9245.
