It’s the $64 million question: Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine yet, or do I still have to wait for production and distribution to ramp up?
That seemingly simple question is creating no small amount of confusion, and not just among those waiting to be vaccinated but inside the medical establishment as well.
(That includes at St. Tammany Parish Health System, which – out of eagerness to protect the community – intended to expand vaccine eligibility last week to those 65 and older, only to learn it would have to wait a little longer to do so. Sigh.)
It doesn’t help that different states have different sets of rules. But in Louisiana, the long and short of it is this:
Although the CDC is urging states to administer the vaccine to those 65 and older, the limited supply has the Louisiana Department of Health restricting the vaccine to the following groups, as of Jan. 27:
- People ages 70 years or older in the community,
- Outpatient clinic providers and clinic staff,
- Urgent care clinic providers and staff,
- Community care clinic providers and staff,
- Behavioral health providers and staff,
- Dialysis providers and patients,
- Home health service providers and recipients,
- Dental providers and staff, and
- Students, residents, faculty and staff of allied health schools (if not already receiving vaccine or in a plan to receive from their respective schools)
So, for the moment, 70 is still the magic number. But as supplies ramp up, the eligibility age will be lowered, allowing more people to be protected.
