(Indianapolis, IN) - Clearance has been given for children ages 16 & 17 in Indiana to receive Pfizer booster shots. Today, the state adopted the federal recommendation that Pfizer booster shots be made available to people in that age bracket.

 

“We’re putting that out here in just a little bit,” said La Porte County Health Department Administrator Amanda Lahners.  

Lahners also said she agreed with Dr. Vidya Kora of Michigan City that the number of present cases is nearly as high as when the pandemic was in the early stages. She said the number of new cases daily in La Porte County exceeded 100 on more than one occasion the past week.

 

“We haven’t seen that since last year,” she said.

Lahners said there were also eight deaths from COVID-19 in La Porte County over the last seven days.

 

“When the pandemic first started we were seeing numbers like that. Of course, that was also before there was any vaccine available.  “It’s all concerning to see these numbers,” she said.

Lahners said the numbers would be worse had vaccines not been developed yet. She said more people continue to get vaccinated, but she would like to see the number of fully protected individuals rising faster.

 

53-percent of La Porte County residents are fully protected, while the average statewide is 51-percent, she said. The percentages have not gone up much in recent weeks. However, Lahners said more people lately have been coming in for the shots in response to fears about the Omicron variant and other concerns.