(La Porte County, IN) - After a brief supply chain interruption, the COVID-19 vaccine train is back on track in La Porte County. 

 

Hoosiers as young as 50 can now sign up for vaccination. The state has also opened appointments to people with certain medical conditions.  Those include people with Down syndrome or sickle cell disease, cancer or dialysis patients, and recent organ transplant recipients.

 

According to the county health department, over 500 people were vaccinated at a traveling mobile center last weekend.  And over 7,000 people have received at least one dose of vaccine so far.  Officials say hundreds of new appointment slots opened up Friday for Tuesday and Thursday of next week.

 

County Health Administrator Amanda Lahners says La Porte County will soon be receiving a shipment of the new Johnson and Johnson vaccine.  At least 200 doses are expected in the coming days.  Lahners says those may go to home-bound patients, since it is a single-shot vaccine.  The J&J vaccine also has a long shelf life, so it can be doled out in a more strategic fashion.