The Louisiana Department of Health announced Monday, February 22, that 501 vaccine providers across the state will receive very limited doses of COVID vaccine this week.
The providers include 168 chain pharmacies, 138 independent pharmacies, 47 hospitals, 45 public health providers, 24 urgent cares, 23 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), 18 community events, 16 medical practices, 12 rural health clinics (RHCs), and 10 other healthcare providers. LDH says they represent all nine public health regions and 64 parishes of the state.
This week, Louisiana expects to receive a total of 90,630 doses of the COVID vaccines.
LDH has published the list of participating providers, along with their locations and contact information, on its website: covidvaccine.la.gov. In addition, LDH says residents can call 211 to find a vaccine provider near them.
Future distribution is dependent on vaccine made available to the state, among other factors. There is no guarantee that providers receiving vaccine this week will receive vaccine in the future.
These vaccines will be available only for the following populations in Phase 1B, Tier 1:
- Persons 65 and older
- Dialysis providers and patients
- Ambulatory and outpatient providers and staff
- Behavioral health providers and staff
- Urgent care clinic providers and staff
- Community care providers and staff
- Dental providers and staff
- Non-emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) providers and staff
- Professional home care providers (including hospice workers) and home care recipients (including older and younger people with disabilities over the age of 16 who receive community or home-based care, as well as clients of home health agencies)
- Interpreters and Support Service Providers (SSPs) working in community and clinic-based settings, and clients who are both deaf and blind
- Health-related support personnel (lab staff, mortuary staff who have contact with corpses, pharmacy staff)
- Schools of allied health students, residents and staff
- State and local essential COVID emergency response personnel
- Some elections staff of March and April elections
- Teachers and any other support staff working on site in K-12 or daycare
- All pregnant persons
- Individuals ages 55-64 with at least one of the conditions listed by the CDC as placing them at an "increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19." Persons with the following qualifying underlying medical conditions are advised to complete the Louisiana COVID-19 Vaccine Attestation Form to receive the vaccine (providers should have available if individuals are not able to print and complete in advance):
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Down syndrome
- Heart conditions including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Obesity (body mass index [Notes:BMI] of 30kg/m2 or higher but less than 40kg/m2)
- Severe obesity (BMI greater than 40kg/m2)
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
LDH says that participating providers must make available vaccine available to anyone who is eligible and that failure to do so will inform future decisions about distribution.
Eligible residents must contact a participating provider and make an appointment with them. Patients who arrive without an appointment will not be vaccinated. LDH cannot make appointments for patients; only providers can.
Second doses
LDH says patients should receive their second doses of the COVID vaccine at the same location where they received their first dose. Second-dose appointments should be made during the administration of the first dose.
If residents missed their second COVID vaccine dose appointments last week, LDH says they can safely delay the second dose days or weeks if need be. If you have received the Moderna vaccine, ideally your second shot should be given 28 days after your first one. If you get the Pfizer vaccine, the second dose should be given 21 days after the first. Just know, in a pinch, you can safely delay the second dose up to 42 days and likely longer after the first dose if need be, according to the CDC.
The Louisiana Department of Health is coordinating the COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort in Louisiana. As more vaccines become available from the CDC, more individuals and groups will be offered a vaccination.
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