The day after Louisiana saw a record increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, Governor John Bel Edwards announced that vaccines will be available to residents aged 70 and over at selected pharmacies by appointment starting next week.
The limited batch of 10,500 doses of Moderna vaccine will be available in 100 pharmacies across the state from Monday, as the state expands populations eligible for vaccination in addition to frontline health professionals and residents and nursing home employees.
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This next priority group – dubbed Phase 1B, Level 1 – also includes outpatient and outpatient health professionals, as well as patients with “terminal stage” kidney disease on dialysis and those receiving health services at home.
The launch next week is extremely limited, Edwards said, asking the public to remain patient and warning that there will likely be hiccups when the state enters its fourth week on the logistically complicated task of vaccinating the general public.
“This is just, logistically speaking, a very, very complex operation and we, like all states, will certainly learn lessons and improve over time,” said Edwards. “I can guarantee that we will make mistakes, but I can also guarantee that we will learn from those mistakes.”
The list of pharmacies that receive the vaccine will be published online Monday at covidvaccine.la.gov and will include locations in 52 parishes, weighted by the population. Residents must call ahead to arrange an appointment. Those who show up without warning will be rejected, said Edwards.
By the end of the week, a total of 210,350 doses will have been allocated to Louisiana, with 56,200 reserved for residents and employees in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, which have been prioritized because of their increased risk of death from the new coronavirus.
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Edwards said that at least 45,289 residents received the first dose of the vaccine, although that number is likely to be higher because there is a lag between the time the vaccine is administered and the time that providers report it to the state. He said that no adverse reactions were reported. A second dose of the vaccine will be administered later to achieve more complete protection.
The announcement of increased vaccine eligibility came a day after the state reported 4,261 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the biggest single-day increase since the pandemic hit the state in March. On Thursday, another 3,329 confirmed cases were reported, in addition to 37 deaths, bringing the death toll to 7,115.
Edwards said coronavirus hospitalizations are increasing at an “alarming rate” and, along with an increasing rate of positivity in the tests, said Louisiana is going in the wrong direction. The most recent figures do not reflect the potential exposure of the Christmas meetings.
“There is no way to mitigate this,” said Edwards, urging the public to remain vigilant in social detachment and wearing masks. “We are not in a good place, Louisiana.”
Edwards did not rule out the possibility of returning to stricter restrictions if the hospital’s capacity becomes even more restricted, but said that it depends on the people of Louisiana collectively.
“The most effective tool we have today to save lives and preserve hospital capacity is this mask,” said Edwards. “The vaccine is not available to everyone today, but this mask is and this mask works.”
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The state’s vaccine priorities are broadly aligned with those released by the CDC’s Immunization Practices Advisory Committee, which last week issued updated recommendations on who should be next in line for the vaccine. Still, some adjustments were made to adapt the recommendations to Louisiana.
The age cut in this next phase – 70 years or more – is five years younger than recommended by the federal government. Edwards said it is because state data shows that this is a clearer limit for negative health outcomes.
Louisiana will also prioritize those with underlying health conditions before federal recommendations, Edwards said, although vaccine supplies are still relatively scarce and the state has not yet released detailed information on what conditions they may include.
Edwards also offered his condolences on Thursday after the passing of elected Congressman Luke Letlow earlier this week, a 41-year-old man who died of complications from COVID-19. Edwards described Letlow as brilliant, articulate and motivated by public service, and said his death was a “devastating loss” for the people of Louisiana.
“It is a difficult thing to accept because it is not what we expected and I think it just reinforces the message that we can have expectations, but at the end of the day, this is a new coronavirus, it is a very serious disease and it affects people regardless of their age and regardless of their health condition, “said Edwards.