The health department of New Orleans on Thursday unveiled a waiting list for people currently eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, which creates a government-controlled reporting method, in addition to the patchwork of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals that residents can contact for an appointment .
The waiting list does not replace the network of providers offering vaccines, but it will connect residents, according to health department officials, with the current stock of 200 to 300 doses per week. It will also serve as a ‘remaining’ waiting list for other providers who have extra doses available at the end of the day.
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The director of the health department in New Orleans, dr. Jennifer Avegno, said that the list would also give the city an idea of where the vaccination efforts should be focused on based on who is not enrolling.
“When we have the stock, we put people in the slots, but it really helps us determine who doesn’t get the word out,” she said.
RN Denise Friloux administers the COVID-19 vaccine in the arm of dr. Jennifer Avegno at the University Medical Center in New Orleans, La., Tuesday, December 15, 2020. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
More than 102,000 people received at least one shot in Louisiana’s Region 1, which includes the New Orleans metro area.
Last week, Governor John Bel Edwards expanded the facility for people over 65, health workers and a few other small groups, but the federal government still does not have supplies available to make wider sections of the population available.
The state has sent vaccinations to 378 providers in all 64 congregations, giving priority to making sure it is available in all parts of the state before mass vaccinations are held in major cities. It was designed to ensure a fairer implementation, but data collection problems made it difficult to determine whether vaccines were evenly distributed per breed.
Just before 1:30 on Wednesday afternoon, Joyce Girard is sitting patiently in her granddaughter’s car in the parking lot of the Shrine on Airline.
The city will investigate the gaps in vaccine interest or coverage and will work with community partners to determine if it is related to hesitation or barriers to entry, Avegno said. Understanding why people do not sign up is key to reaching vulnerable populations.
“We certainly do not want to repeat what is happening in other states, where they have a clinic in an area that has really been hit by COVID and then the only people who come there are people from more affluent neighborhoods who have the means and the time. to get there, ”Avegno said.
Incorrect data collection on the breed of coronavirus vaccine recipients in Louisiana has made it difficult for government officials to understand …
While the new waiting list is a slightly more centralized reporting method, Avegno said people still need to search for the vaccine through the long list of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals where the state has sent doses.
That process frustrated people who were met with busy signals and waiting lists for a thousand people.
Avegno has a lack of central notifications for vaccines reflecting the broken healthcare system. The state reported 2,000 suppliers.
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“Getting these systems all talking to each other is really a challenge and it’s just not something that was done ahead of time,” Avegno said. “Unfortunately, in a society like the US where we do not have a centralized system of healthcare, this patchwork is what you get.”
As supply increases, the list will include decisions to create a mass vaccination site in an accessible location.
Larry Smith of Ochsner Health helps executives receive their COVID-19 vaccine at the Shrine on Airline in Metairie, on Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Officials from Ochsner Health and Jefferson Parish this week opened the Coronavirus Coronavirus Vaccine Mass Distribution Center launched. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Eventually, the waiting list, 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 suitability. Because the qualifying questions about occupation or medical conditions will change once the state determines who is next, residents who do not yet qualify will have to wait to report, the city said.
About 1,000 people were already reported Thursday afternoon.
New Orleans residents 65 and older and others who qualify according to current state guidelines can enroll by calling 311 (or 504-658-2299) or via the city’s new Web site at ready.nola.gov/getvaccine.
Tulane University already uses the city’s 311 system to dispense 50 extra vaccines a day.
Once someone is in the system, they will be contacted as appointments become available.
The city says in the announcement that vaccines will vary, so residents will have to arrange transportation or plan RTA paratransit by calling 504-827-7433.
Second dose appointments will be scheduled after the first dose.
Emily Woodruff Treats Public Health for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate as a report for the corps member of America.