The New Orleans Department of Health launched a waiting list on Thursday for people currently eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, creating a government-administered enrollment method in addition to the patchwork of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals that residents can contact for a consultation.
Although the waiting list does not supplant the supply chain that offers vaccines, it will connect residents to the city’s current supply of 200 to 300 doses per week, according to health department officials. It will also act as a “rest” waiting list for other providers who have extra doses available at the end of the day.
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New Orleans Department of Health director Dr. Jennifer Avegno said the list will also give the city an idea of where it needs to focus its vaccination efforts based on who is not applying.
“When we have the supply, we will put people in spaces, but it is really to help us capture who is not getting the word,” she said.
RN Denise Friloux administers the COVID-19 vaccine to Dr. Jennifer Avegno at the University Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Tuesday, December 15, 2020. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
More than 102,000 people were shot at least in Region 1 of Louisiana, which includes the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Last week, Governor John Bel Edwards expanded eligibility for people over 65, health professionals and a few other small groups, but supplies are not yet available from the federal government to open up availability to broader sections of the population.
The state sent vaccines to 378 providers in all 64 parishes, prioritizing availability in all areas of the state before hosting mass vaccination events in major cities. This was designed to ensure a more equitable distribution, although problems with data collection have made it difficult to determine whether vaccines were evenly distributed by race.
Just before 1:30 am on Wednesday afternoon, Joyce Girard sat patiently in her great-nephew’s car in the parking lot of Shrine on Airline.
The city will analyze where there are gaps in interest or coverage of the vaccine and will work with community partners to determine whether it is related to hesitation or barriers to access, said Avegno. Understanding why people are not signing up will be critical to reaching vulnerable populations.
“We certainly don’t want to repeat what is happening in other states, where they have a clinic in a neighborhood that was hit hard by COVID and so the only people who are coming are people from wealthier neighborhoods who had the means and the time to get there there, “said Avegno.
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Although the new waiting list represents a slightly more centralized method of enrollment, Avegno said people should still get the vaccine through the long list of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals where the state sends doses.
This process frustrated people who encountered busy signs and waiting lists for a thousand people.
The lack of centralized vaccination registrations is a reflection of a fractured health system, Avegno said. The state has already enrolled 2,000 providers.
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“Getting these systems to talk to each other is really challenging and it’s not something that was done ahead of time,” said Avegno. “Unfortunately, in a society like the United States, where we don’t have a centralized health care system, this patchwork is what you get.”
As the supply increases, the list will inform decisions to create a mass vaccination site in an accessible location.
Larch Smith of Ochsner Health helps drivers stop to get the COVID-19 vaccine at the Shrine on Airline in Metairie on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Ochsner Health and Jefferson Parish employees launched the mass distribution of the coronavirus vaccine this week. (Chris Granger photo | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Eventually, the waiting list, which was launched in partnership with the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Orleans Parish Communication District, will be expanded for use by anyone as the state increases eligibility. As qualifying questions about occupation or medical conditions will change once the state determines who is next in line, residents who are not yet qualified should wait to apply, the city said.
About 1,000 people were already registered on Thursday afternoon.
New Orleans residents aged 65 and over and others who fall under current state guidelines can apply by calling 311 (or 504-658-2299) or the new city website at ready.nola.gov/getvaccine.
The University of Tulane is already using the city’s 311 system to deliver 50 extra vaccines a day.
Once a person is in the system, they will be contacted as soon as the appointments are made available.
Vaccine locations vary, the city said in the ad, so residents will need to arrange transportation or schedule the RTA paratransit by calling 504-827-7433.
The second dose consultations will be scheduled after the first dose.
Emily Woodruff covers public health for The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate as a member of Report For America.