The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Sunday that “multiple” eligible players and team members received the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday due to the expansion of Louisiana’s vaccine guidelines.
In a statement released to the New Orleans Advocate, the Pelicans encouraged everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine, but did not reveal the names of any players or staff members who received it.
“On March 9, the state of Louisiana expanded eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to include people 18 years of age or older (16 years or older for the Pfizer vaccine) who meet certain health criteria that may result in a increased risk of disease, “the Pelicans said in a statement.” Yesterday, individuals from the New Orleans Pelicans who met the state health department’s eligibility requirements received the vaccine.
“Pelicans support the state’s vital efforts to encourage everyone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as large-scale vaccination in our community is the best way to keep everyone safe and end the COVID-19 pandemic. More information about COVID- Vaccine 19 can be found at https://ldh.la.gov/covidvaccine/
“The Pelicans and Ochsner Health will continue to come together to create PSAs and educational programs to raise awareness about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and to highlight the power of large-scale vaccination in our community in an effort to end Pandemic from covid19. “
How were Pelicans players eligible for the vaccine?
Each state has defined its own high-risk categories for vaccine eligibility, and in Louisiana, one of the high-risk conditions is overweight (body mass index 25 or more) or obesity (body mass index 30 or most). ESPN pointed out that several NBA players would be eligible in the overweight or obesity categories, even though they are professional athletes. Since muscle weighs more than fat, an NBA player may have a BMI above 30 due to developed muscles.
Other eligible conditions include type I diabetes, hypertension, cancer and diseases that suppress the immune system.
While the Pelicans did not announce the names of the players who chose to receive the vaccine, Sindarius Thornwell announced on Twitter that he was one of the players who received the vaccine on Saturday.
Tomorrow I will get the vaccine … boy a little nervous 😂😂
– sindarius thornwell (@ Sin_City_803) March 13, 2021
Thornwell is the first NBA player to publicly announce that he is getting the vaccine.
Mavericks could be next
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on Sunday that the Dallas Mavericks may be the next team to vaccinate some of its players and team.
The Mavs are awaiting approval from the NBA office before proceeding with plans for players and staff to be vaccinated, a source told ESPN. https://t.co/hjcv0hLgpr
– Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 14, 2021
Texas, which currently has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, has eligibility guidelines similar to those in Louisiana. Anyone aged 16 or over with a high-risk medical condition can receive the vaccine, and obesity is one of them.
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