Hospital district board looks for ways to deliver more vaccine

Can crawfish succeed where Dr. Fauci has failed?

The Hospital Service District No. 2 board on Wednesday kicked around the idea of a crawfish boil to bring people together to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We’re fishing right now,” said Dr. William Cefalu, who chairs the board. “We’re fishing for shoulders to get some vaccine into.”

The district owns the hospital that Ochsner Health System operates as Ochsner St. Mary.

As in other portions of the country, winter’s rush for vaccinations and limited vaccine supplies have given way to ample supplies and a slower pace for vaccinations.

President Joe Biden spoke this week about moving away from mass vaccination events and focusing on smaller events in rural areas.

At Gov. John Bel Edwards’ press conference Wednesday, Public Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter spoke about trying to reach people who aren't opposed to vaccinations but have been slow to get shots or need answers to questions about vaccination.

In Louisiana Department of Health Region 3, which stretches east from St. Mary and Assumption parishes to St. John the Baptist Parish, the vaccination rate is 23.53%, according to the latest update from the Office of Public Health.

In St. Mary, the rate is 21.16%. In Assumption, 20.86% of adults have been vaccinated.

In St. Martin, which is part of Region 4, the vaccination rate is 18.08%.

Ochsner St. Mary has begun using billboards and radio advertising to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Cefalu, who is a physician, said he's finding people who are difficult to persuade to get the shots.

"My patients trust me, and I still have trouble convincing them ..., " Cefalu said. "If you could see what I see, you'd go running for a vaccine."

COVID-19 shouldn't be compared with the flu, he said.

"You could be doing everything right," Cefalu said. "You could be a young person. It seems like a chip shot." And yet you can become seriously ill with COVID.

He said people shouldn't be deterred by the minor side effects that may follow vaccinations.

After his own vaccination, Cefalus had a 101-degree fever that was easily treated with an over-the-counter pain reliever.

He also experienced chills for a few hours.

"I was smiling and thinking I'd much rather have the cold chills" than be sick with COVID-19, Cefalu said.

He's looking into the possibility of having the vaccination even with crawfish as the incentive. The event would probably be at the end of May.

St. Mary Parish has now had 3,648 confirmed COVID cases and another 1,049 listed as probable. The OPH has reported 137 deaths here.

St. Martin has had 4,784 confirmed cases, 483 probable cases and 116 deaths.

Assumption has had 1,578 confirmed cases, 610 probable cases and 36 deaths.

Also at Wednesday's hospital board meeting, the board approved a motion from member Nick Morris authorizing a possible cooperative agreement to provide combat tourniquets to local police departments. The tourniquets can be used quickly to stop bleeding from wounds on arms or legs.