The federal government will help launch a mass vaccination site at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with LCMC Health, the New Orleans Department of Health and the state, according to a hospital spokesman.
The site will aim to offer hundreds, then thousands of coronavirus vaccines daily as supply increases. The Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine will be distributed on site once it becomes available.
A Food & Drug Administration advisory committee will vote this week on the recommendation to authorize emergency use for Johnson & Johnson, the third potential vaccine in the United States. March, according to a statement.
Local pharmacies are crucial to the state’s vaccination plan, but they are extensive
Louisiana received 90,000 doses of vaccine this week, but demand still exceeds supply. However, officials expect a supply to be large enough in the coming weeks to support mass vaccinations. It is not yet clear when the site will open.
“We want to assure the community that when more vaccines are available, we are ready to deliver them in bulk,” said Gregory Feirn, LCMC executive director.
The US Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide a $ 4.1 million grant to fund the site.
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The on-site vaccine administration will adhere to current Louisiana qualification groups: health care workers, residents and staff in the health and long-term care communities, teachers, schoolchildren, home health care providers, pregnant people, order, anyone 65 and above and those ages 55 to 65 with certain health conditions.
As supply increases, more groups will be added.
“It is vital that we step up our vaccination efforts to ensure that all our people can be protected from COVID-19 and that we need space to do so,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “I thank LCMC Health for stepping up the joint effort in partnership with the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center team in New Orleans to implement vaccination plans for our residents so that we can be a stronger and healthier city on the road to recovery. . “
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The news comes after representatives said that Smoothie King Center and Superdome are not available as mass vaccination sites due to ongoing renovations.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is ideal for high effort because it does not have the same cold storage requirements as the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and is just one shot. Johnson & Johnson’s was 72% effective in preventing moderate to severe disease in a US clinical study and 66% effective in a global study. It was 100% effective in preventing death.
Emily Woodruff covers public health for The Times-Picayune | New Orleans attorney as a member of the Report for America body.