Governor John Bel Edwards said on Tuesday that people aged 16 and over with certain health conditions are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, a dramatic expansion in Louisiana’s efforts to overcome the pandemic.
The announcement comes a day after state health officials began to notify pharmacies about new priority vaccine groups, which include adults of all ages who meet specific criteria that put them at increased risk of serious illness with the new coronavirus .
Among those who would qualify for the vaccine, according to an email sent to independent pharmacies, are individuals aged 16 or over for the Pfizer vaccine or 18 years or older for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines with the following conditions:
- moderate to severe asthma
- Cerebrovascular disease
- cystic fibrosis
- hypertension or high blood pressure
- immunocompromised state due to blood or bone marrow transplantation, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids or use of other drugs to weaken the immune system
- neurological conditions such as dementia
- liver disease
- overweight
- pulmonary fibrosis
- thalassemia
- type 1 diabetes mellitus
The vaccines would also be available to anyone in the same age group who works in a cohabitation unit, such as a prison, shelter or group home, according to the email.
A new self-reported form of medical risk factor was uploaded to the Louisiana Department of Health website on Monday with criteria similar to those described in the LIPA email, according to a screen capture sent by a reader. He has since been removed from the site.
The form included all the criteria described in the LIPA email, along with other medical conditions that would qualify the same age group for the vaccine, including:
- Cancer
- chronic kidney disease
- chronic pulmonary obstruction disease
- Down’s syndrome
- heart diseases such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies
- immunocompromised state of solid organ transplantation
- obesity or severe obesity
- pregnancy
- sickle cell anemia
- smoke
- type 2 diabetes mellitus
The new eligibility group would significantly increase the number of people who are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Louisiana.
Prior to Tuesday’s press conference, vaccines were available in Louisiana for those aged 65 and over, those aged 55 to 64 with specific conditions, pregnant women and those working in specific areas such as health, law enforcement and education .