(ATLANTA, Ind.) — Governor Holcomb says he’s hopeful this week’s final approval of the Pfizer
coronavirus vaccine will mean more people getting the shot.
Holcomb has argued for weeks that going from emergency authorization to full approval was
overdue, and would remove a major stumbling block for many unvaccinated Hoosiers. He says
he’s hopeful that proves to be the case, and says he and health officials will be watching
vaccination numbers the next couple of weeks to see if there’s an increase.
Holcomb says the vaccine is “the answer” to the pandemic. He says he “applauds” businesses
who are requiring the vaccine or thinking about it. He says they’re understandably concerned
about disruption to their supply chains. And for companies like Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly, one of
just three manufacturers of insulin for the U.S. market, it’s not just businesses who can’t afford a
shutdown, but their customers.
But Holcomb reaffirms the state won’t issue a vaccine mandate. A law Holcomb signed in April
prohibits it anyway, and Holcomb says the state’s proper role is to give businesses and citizens
all the information they need to understand the vaccines are safe, and nearly eliminate the risk of
serious illness. Since July 1, nearly one in six COVID-19 patients has been vaccinated, but 95% of the hospitalizations in that time have been unvaccinated. Holcomb says getting the shot
means “your worry level goes way down.”
