NEW ORLEANS —
Despite the creation of multiple vaccines for COVID-19 breakthrough speed, the supply of vaccine doses from the CDC has struggled to keep up with demand in Louisiana, canceling and rescheduling thousands of appointments.
Like the rest of the country, Louisiana's Department of Health has limited access to the COVID vaccine to parts of the population whose inoculation is a priority — until more doses come in.
Those Louisianans who are eligible to get a COVID vaccine are — as of Feb. 26:
- Persons 65 and older
- Dialysis providers and patients
- Ambulatory and outpatient providers and staff who work with
- Behavioral health; urgent care; community care; dentists; or
- Non-emergency medical transportation
- Hospice workers, professional home care providers and home care recipients
- American Sign Language and foreign language interpreters and Support Service Providers working in community and clinic-based settings, and clients who are both deaf and blind
- Health-related support personnel (lab, mortuary, or pharmacy staff)
- Health students, residents and staff at Schools of allied health
- Police officers, other first responders
- The Louisiana Unified Command Group, which includes the governor and 16 other state officials
- State and local essential COVID emergency response workers
- Some elections staff for the March and April elections
- Teachers and any other support staff working at daycares or K-12 schools
- All pregnant persons
- Individuals ages 55-64 with at least one of the high-risk conditions listed by the CDC :
- Cancer;
- Chronic kidney disease;
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; +
- Down syndrome;
- Heart conditions;
- A weakened immune system from solid organ transplant;
- Obesity; Severe obesity
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
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