Updated 2025-2026 COVID-19 Vaccine Now Available at Eskenazi Health

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved updated COVID-19 vaccines that are expected to work well against currently circulating variants. The updated vaccine is approved for use in the following groups and can be administered at the same time as other vaccines, including the influenza vaccine:

Patients age 65 years or older
Patients age 6 months – 64 years who have a health condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes, including those with asthma, immunocompromising conditions, chronic lung/heart/kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, mood disorders, obesity, smoking history, pregnancy and others

The COVID-19 vaccine is covered by most insurance plans. A member of the Eskenazi Health Center or Pharmacy team will review vaccine eligibility, provide recommendations and answer questions.

The new COVID-19 vaccine is available for employees and patients from 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 11 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.

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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. To many, 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.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: This website is NOT for medical emergencies or medical treatment. If you are having a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For medical treatment, please contact your physician’s office by phone or go to the nearest appropriate facility. The Michael & Susan Smith Emergency Department is located on the Eskenazi Health downtown campus, 720 Eskenazi Ave. If you need to speak with a nurse urgently to discuss your symptoms but it’s not an emergency, please call Eskenazi Health Connections at 317.880.7666.

If this is a mental health emergency, please call 988 or 317.880.8485. In case of a mental health emergency, you may also go to the Thota Rao, M.D., & Aruna Rau, M.D., Crisis Intervention Unit on the Eskenazi Health downtown campus from 8:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. From 11 p.m. - 8:30 a.m., emergency psychiatric services are provided by crisis specialist clinicians in the Michael & Susan Smith Emergency Department also on the Eskenazi Health downtown campus.

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