INDIANAPOLIS — Here are Tuesday's latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic, including the latest news on COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in Indiana.
Registrations for the vaccine are now open for Hoosiers 5 and older through the Indiana State Department of Health. This story will be updated over the course of the day with more news on the COVID-19 pandemic.
IDOH update
The Indiana Department of Health reported 2,623 more Hoosiers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday. The total number of people vaccinated in Indiana is now at 3,646,087.
There were 3,691 booster doses administered Monday, bringing the total number to 1,670,790.
AP source: Pfizer to ask FDA to authorize COVID vaccine for kids under 5
U.S. regulators are urging drugmaker Pfizer to apply for emergency authorization for a two-dose regimen of its COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old while awaiting data on a three-dose course, aiming to clear the way for the shots as soon as late February, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press Monday.
Early Pfizer data has shown the vaccine — which is administered to younger kids at one-tenth the strength of the adult shot — is safe and produces an immune response. But last year, Pfizer announced the two-dose shot proved to be less effective at preventing COVID-19 in kids ages 2-5, and regulators encouraged the company to add a third dose to the study on the belief that another dose would boost the vaccine's effectiveness much like booster doses do in adults.
Now, the Food and Drug Administration is pushing the company to submit its application based on the two-dose data for potential approval in February, and then to return for additional authorization once it has the data from the third dose study, which is expected in March, the person familiar with the matter said.
The two-step authorization process could mean that young children could be vaccinated more than a month earlier than previous estimates, assuming the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention greenlight the shots.
Vaccine, testing clinics closing, cutting back in preparation for winter storm
Hamilton County:
To prepare for the impending winter storm, the Hamilton County Health Department decided to make the following changes to its hours at its testing and vaccination clinics.
- The vaccination site at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville will be closed all day Wednesday through Friday with operations resuming Monday.
- The testing site at the Hamilton County Health Department will close at 1 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed through the weekend, with operations resuming Monday.
The health department said people with appointments will receive a call to reschedule.
The Fishers Health Department has also made changes to its hours ahead of the storm.
The Fishers testing and mass vaccination site will be open during its normal hours on Wednesday and they will be closed Thursday. The health department has not yet made a decision on whether it will close the site on Friday, too.
The department will reach out to anyone with appointments on Thursday to reschedule, or you can reschedule by calling the Fishers COVID Hotline at 317-595-3211. If you have an appointment scheduled, you will receive a cancellation notice from IDOH via text or email.
Boone County:
The Boone County Health Department posted on Facebook saying the county is closing both its testing and vaccine clinics on Wednesday and Thursday in anticipation of the upcoming winter storm.
Madison County:
The Madison County Health Department said all testing and vaccination is canceled for this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at MCHD in anticipation of inclement weather. This is for both mobile unit and health department clinics.
Marion County:
Marion County has not made any plans to close its testing and vaccine clinics at this time.
Statewide:
The Indiana Department of Health announced Tuesday that all state-run mobile clinics will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The clinic across from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and state-run mobile clinics in Porter, La Porte, St. Joseph, Pulaski, Huntington, DeKalb, Cass, Fountain/Warren, Shelby, Madison, Howard, Vigo and Vermillion counties will be closed Thursday.
Additional schedules for sites south of Johnson County will be assessed based on weather conditions.
Moderna gets full US approval for its COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna says U.S. health regulators have given full approval to its COVID-19 vaccine after reviewing additional data on its safety and effectiveness.
The decision Monday by the Food and Drug Administration comes after many tens of millions of Americans have already received the shot under its original emergency authorization.
Full approval means the FDA has completed the same rigorous, time-consuming review for Moderna’s shot as dozens of other long-established vaccines.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine received full approval last summer.
Public health advocates initially hoped the distinction would boost public confidence in the shots, but there was no discernable bump in vaccinations after the Pfizer decision.
Latest US, world numbers
There have been more than 74.94 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been more than 886,600 deaths recorded in the U.S.
Worldwide, there have been more than 378.39 million confirmed coronavirus cases with more than 5.67 million deaths and more than 9.98 billion vaccine doses administered.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness like pneumonia, or death.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tests positive for COVID-19
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he has tested positive for COVID-19, but is "feeling fine" and will continue working remotely.
The announcement came in a tweet in which he urged everyone to "please get vaccinated and get boosted."
Trudeau said on Thursday that he was going into isolation for five days after finding out the previous evening he had been in contact with someone who tested positive. He told The Canadian Press on Friday that person was one of his three children.
Trudeau previously isolated at home in the early months of the pandemic after his wife tested positive.
Omicron amps up concerns about long COVID and its causes
Omicron's race across the globe has amped up concerns about long COVID, which some estimates suggest affects a third of COVID-19 survivors. Long COVID symptoms can include pain, fatigue and brain fog weeks or months after the initial infection.
As coronavirus infections soar worldwide, scientists are racing to pinpoint the cause of the baffling condition and find new treatments before a potential explosion of cases.
Could it be an autoimmune disorder? Could microclots in the bloodstream be causing some of the symptoms? And can vaccination reduce the chances of developing long COVID?
Marion County Public Health Department shares vaccination, testing sites
The Marion County Public Health Department announced a list of its current COVID-19 vaccination and testing locations as it continues to offer the services for free to anyone interested.
MCPHD is operating one COVID-19 testing site — a drive-thru clinic at 3838 N. Rural St., just north of 38th Street on Indianapolis' northeast side. Current hours for that site are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The clinic offers only PCR testing.
Anyone seeking a test at the location is encouraged to register and make an appointment online at MaronHealth.org/indycovid. Appointments are not required but will cut down the wait time significantly, the department said.
MCPHD is offering the COVID-19 vaccine at its district health offices, ACTION Health Center and three other locations in Marion County.
Below is the list of MCPHD's vaccine clinic locations and times through February:
- MCPHD Northeast District Health Office, 6042 E. 21st St.: Mondays noon-4 p.m., Tuesdays 3-7 p.m., and Feb. 12 8 a.m.-noon.
- MCPHD Eagledale Plaza Health Office, 2802 Lafayette Road, Suite 13: Tuesdays 8 a.m.-noon.
- MCPHD Northwest District Health Office, 6940 N. Michigan Road: Thursdays 3-7 p.m., Feb. 5 and Feb. 26 8 a.m.-noon.
- MCPHD South District Health Office, 7551 S. Shelby St.: Mondays 3-7 p.m., Fridays 8 a.m-noon, Jan. 29 and Feb. 19 8 a.m.-Noon
- MCPHD ACTION Health Center, 2868 N. Pennsylvania St.: Wednesdays 3-5 p.m., Feb. 12 9 a.m.-noon
- Indianapolis Public Library Martindale-Brightwood Branch, 2436 N. Sherman Drive (ages 12+ only): Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Indianapolis Public Library College Avenue Branch, 4180 N. College Ave. (ages 12+ only): Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- IndyGo Carson Transit Center, 201 E. Washington St. (ages 12+ only): Tuesdays-Thursdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.