The New Orleans Pelicans announced Sunday that eligible ‘multiple’ players and staff members received the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday due to the expansion of Louisiana’s vaccination guidelines.
In a statement released to the New Orleans attorney, the Pelicans encouraged everyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine, but did not disclose the names of any players or staff members who received it.
‘On March 9, the state of Louisiana extended the admission of COVID-19 vaccines to people 18 years or older (16 years or older for the Pfizer vaccine) who meet certain health criteria that may result in a higher risk of disease have. , “the Pelicans said in a statement.” Yesterday, individuals within the New Orleans Pelicans organization who meet the requirements of the state health department received the vaccine.
“The Pelicans support the state’s important efforts to encourage everyone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as large-scale vaccination of our community is the best way to keep everyone safe and end the COVID-19 pandemic. More information on the COVID-19 vaccine can be found at https://ldh.la.gov/covidvaccine/
“The Pelicans and Ochsner Health will continue to work together to create PSAs and educational programming to raise awareness about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and to emphasize the power of large-scale vaccination in our community.” an attempt to end the Covid19 pandemic. “
How did Pelicans players qualify for the vaccine?
Each state has defined its own high-risk categories for vaccination, and in Louisiana, one of the high-risk conditions is overweight (body mass index of 25 and above) or obese (body mass index of 30 or higher). ESPN has pointed out that many NBA players are eligible for overweight or obese categories, even though they are professional athletes. Since muscle weighs more than fat, an NBA player can have a BMI of more than 30 due to their developed muscles.
Other suitable conditions include type I diabetes, hypertension, cancer and diseases that suppress the immune system.
While the Pelicans did not disclose the names of players who chose to receive the vaccine, Sindarius Thornwell announced on Twitter that he is one of the players receiving the vaccine on Saturday.
I’ll get the vaccine tomorrow … ya kid quite nervous 😂😂
– sindarius thornwell (@ Sin_City_803) 13 March 2021
Thornwell is the first NBA player to publicly announce that he is getting the vaccine.
Mavericks could be next
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on Sunday that the Dallas Mavericks could be the next team to vaccinate some of their players and staff.
The Mavs are awaiting NBA office approval before proceeding with plans for players and staff to be vaccinated, a source told ESPN. https://t.co/hjcv0hLgpr
– Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) 14 March 2021
Texas, which currently has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, has guidelines similar to Louisiana. Anyone 16 years or older with a high risk medical condition can receive the vaccine, and obesity is one of them.
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