Government John Bel Edwards said people aged 16 and older with certain health conditions were eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, a dramatic expansion in Louisiana’s effort to overcome the pandemic.
The announcement comes a day after state health officials began notifying pharmacies of the new vaccine priority groups, which include adults of all ages who meet specific criteria to increase the risk of serious diseases due to the new coronavirus.
Among those who, according to the email to independent pharmacies, qualify for the vaccine are individuals 16 years and older for Pfizer vaccine or 18 years and 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 condition due to blood or bone marrow transplantation, immune deficiency, HIV, corticosteroid use or the use of other immunosuppressive drugs
- neurological conditions, such as dementia
- liver disease
- overweight
- pulmonary fibrosis
- thalassemia
- type 1 diabetes mellitus
According to the email, there are also vaccines available for everyone in the same age group working in a residential home, such as a jail, shelter or group home.
A new medical risk factor self-declaration form was uploaded to the Louisiana Department of Health website Monday with similar criteria as outlined in the LIPA email, according to a reader who submitted the reader. It has since been removed from the site.
The form contains all the criteria set out in the LIPA email, along with additional medical conditions that will qualify the same age group for the vaccine, including:
- Cancer
- chronic kidney disease
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Down Syndrome
- heart disease, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy
- immunocompromised state of solid organ transplantation
- obesity or severe obesity
- pregnancy
- sickle cell disease
- smoke
- type 2 diabetes mellitus
The new fitness group will significantly increase the number of people eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Louisiana.
Prior to Tuesday’s press conference, vaccines were available in Louisiana for those 65 and older, 55 to 64 with specific conditions, those pregnant and those working in specific fields, such as health care, law enforcement and education.