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Indiana's online map now includes COVID-19 vaccine sites with new booster

A close up of a health care provider injecting a syringe containing the COVID-19 vaccine into a person's upper arm. The health care provider's blue-gloved hand is visible, with a band-aid on the glove, ready to be applied when the vaccine is administered.
FILE PHOTO: Justin Hicks
/
IPB News
The bivalent COVID-19 booster, endorsed by the CDC Sept. 1, helps protect Hoosiers against both the omicron and delta strains of the virus.

Hoosiers can now find COVID-19 vaccine sites with the new booster on the state’s online map, found at OurShot.IN.gov.

The so-called bivalent booster, endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month, helps protect Hoosiers against both the omicron and delta strains of the virus. Previous boosters only covered COVID-19’s original strain.

In a statement, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said having a vaccine that specifically targets the current dominant strain of the virus is particularly important heading into the fall and winter, when diseases like COVID-19 are more prevalent.

READ MORE: Indiana surpasses 1.9M confirmed COVID-19 cases, as reported infections plateau

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Hoosiers can’t yet schedule appointments for the new booster on the state's website. The Indiana Department of Health encourages them to either contact a pharmacy or health care provider directly or call 211 for assistance. Online scheduling is expected to be available later this month.

CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story said Hoosiers can't yet schedule appointments for the new booster online. For the purpose of clarity, it has been changed to Hoosiers can't yet schedule appointments for the new booster on the state's website.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state. He previously worked at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and WSPY in Plano, Illinois. His first job in radio was in another state capitol - Jefferson City, Missouri - as a reporter for three stations around the Show-Me State.