INDIANAPOLIS — There is a growing urgency to get more people vaccinated as COVID-19 variants spread across the country.
But Marion County has had a tough time boosting the vaccination rate, which now hovers at roughly 42 percent.
Health officials say part of that is access and ease. It's why the Marion County Public Health Department hit the road this week with its newly rebranded COVID-19 mobile unit, where it can pull up just about anywhere for pop-up vaccine clinics.
It was parked on Monument Circle for four hours both Wednesday and Thursday this week, hoping to make it easier for downtown workers, residents and visitors to get vaccinated.
"I got my husband to come down and we didn't have to make appointments which was great," said Janet Branson, who got her second dose of the vaccine around noon Thursday. Her husband came for his first shot.
There wasn't much waiting. Wednesday, just 25 people were vaccinated, but health officials said another 80 people stopped to ask them questions about the vaccine.
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One of them was Jason Jones, who's been a holdout, wary of the vaccine given what he's seen on social media.
"It's just all you hear in society, the blood clots, the physical ailments from the shots," he said.
But Thursday, after weighing what he learned from health officials, Jones returned to Monument Circle to get vaccinated.
He said he chose to get the shot, "because I'm standing up against the conspiracy theorists and saying enough is enough and doing what I think is ethically and morally right to support my community and myself."
People who have been hesitant about or resistant to the vaccine have been the hardest to reach. Upping the numbers has been a top priority due to how quickly the delta variant is spreading.
"There's concern the symptoms and complications related to Delta may be greater than the original COVID," Caine said adding "those at most risk of getting COVID are the unvaccinated and we want to avoid this additional burden on our hospital and healthcare workers."
Besides working on get more people vaccinated, Caine is working with Marion County superintendents on back-to-school protocols. Indianapolis Public Schools, with the largest number of students, resumes classes August 2.
Asked whether masks will be required at any grade levels, Caine said, "I think there will be recommendations for mask wearing. I can probably tell you we will not have a requirement, we will have guidance and recommendations for the school systems."
She said the health department would also share guidance on protocols for sports, band, choir and other extracurricular activities, as well recommendations on school visitors.
IPS is expected to announce its COVID protocols for the upcoming school year within the next few days.