Primary Care

Updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Approved by FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved updated COVID-19 vaccines which are expected to work well against currently circulating variants. The updated vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months and older and can be administered at the same time as other vaccines, including the influenza vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine is covered by insurance, including private plans, Medicare, and Medicaid. Access is also available for uninsured children and adults. A member of the Eskenazi Health Center or Pharmacy team will review vaccine eligibility, provide recommendations, and answer any questions you have. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (Comirnaty) is the only COVID-19 vaccine offered at Eskenazi Health.

The new COVID vaccine is available at the following locations:

Eskenazi Health Center locations – patients 6 months and older; an appointment is required and can be made by calling Eskenazi Health Connections at 317.880.7666.
Eskenazi Health Pharmacy locations – patients 5 years and older; walk-ins (both patients and the general public) are welcome during normal business hours.

Find an Eskenazi Health Center Location Near You

Flu and COVID vaccines are offered at all Eskenazi Health Center primary care locations and Eskenazi Health Pharmacy locations in Indianapolis.

Need assistance finding a location? Please contact us at 317.880.0000.

Vaccine Appointments for Children

Children 6 Months to 15 Years Old

Any child between 6 months and 15 years old must be accompanied by an adult. If that adult is not the child’s parent or legal guardian, consent from a parent or legal guardian must be submitted in advance.

COVID vaccines for children ages 6 months and older are available through Eskenazi Health Center sites by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling Eskenazi Health Connections at 317.880.7666.

Children Aged 16 or 17 Years Old

Ideally, children aged 16 or 17 will also bring a parent or guardian with them. But if that’s not possible, a parent or guardian may provide written or verbal authorization.

Want More Information?

You can visit this page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to learn more about the available options.

Once you arrive at the Eskenazi Health Center site or Eskenazi Health Pharmacy location, you can also ask the staff which vaccine option is right for you.

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COMMON QUESTIONS WHEN GETTING THE COVID VACCINE

My child needs shots for school. Is it safe to get other immunizations at the same time as the COVID vaccine?

Receiving multiple vaccines at the same time, called coadministration, is a common clinical practice. The COVID vaccine can be administered at the same time or near other immunizations required by schools, including MMR (measles, mumps, rubella vaccine), HPV (human papillomavirus vaccine, or Gardasil 9), whooping cough and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, or Boostrix). Eskenazi Health Center sites can administer these for you; there’s no need to make separate trips.
What’s in the COVID vaccine?

Vaccine ingredients vary by manufacturer. None of the vaccines contain eggs, gelatin, latex or preservatives. All COVID vaccines are free from metals, such as iron, nickel, cobalt, lithium and rare earth alloys. They are also free from manufactured products such as microchips, electrodes, carbon nanotubes and nanowire semiconductors. None of the COVID vaccines authorized or approved in the United States contain any live virus.
What side effects does the COVID vaccine cause?

The effects vary from person to person. Some people have no side effects at all. Other people experience symptoms that can include a sore arm, a mild fever or a rash. All side effects typically disappear within a few days (and they’re proof that your body is building antibodies to fight future illness). In any case, a day or two of mild discomfort is better than suffering through a week or more of COVID.
I already had COVID. Do I still need to get vaccinated?

Yes. People who already had COVID and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are actually more likely to get COVID again than those who get vaccinated after their recovery.
Can healthy people in good shape skip the vaccine?

People of good health should still get vaccinated. For the best protection, the CDC recommends that anyone over the age of 6 months get vaccinated against COVID. Remember, this vaccination doesn’t just protect you. It can help protect your family, friends and loved ones, too.

Some people in my family and neighborhood don’t trust the COVID vaccine. Why should I?

After years of COVID, the CDC has been able to study and prove the effectiveness of those vaccines—and scientists have worked hard to make updated versions of vaccines more effective against new variants.

Eskenazi Health works to bring health care to every person in every neighborhood. By getting free vaccinations now, you can help to change health outcomes for your entire community.
If I’m an immigrant, can I still get vaccinated against COVID for free?

Yes. The CDC has stated that COVID vaccines are available to anyone—including undocumented immigrants—regardless of their citizenship status.
If English is not my first language, do I have a right to interpretation or translation services when getting a COVID vaccine?

Yes. Federal law and civil rights protections ensure that people with limited English language skills are entitled to interpretation or translation services to help them communicate with health care providers who receive federal funding.

Eskenazi Health provides language services for patients who prefer to communicate in their native language. Over 170 languages are supported via interpreters, video conferencing and over-the-phone services. Patients are asked to notify Eskenazi Health staff if they need interpretation services during their hospital stay or appointment.
Will the vaccine provider ask me for a driver’s license, a Social Security number or another form of identification?

You will be asked to provide some form of identification before Eskenazi Health Center registers you as a patient. If you have no identification, you will be asked to fill out an identification form with a field requesting your Social Security number. If you do not have a Social Security number, that field may be left blank.