Local vaccination effort moves ahead; 6,000 doses administered in St. Mary

Advertising encouraging people to get COVID-19 vaccine shots doesn’t mean people need more coaxing. It means the system has caught up with the vaccine distribution, the state Department of Health Region 3 medical director said Monday.
Dr. Chip Riggins said he thinks a better grasp of the vaccination system and implementation of community feedback has contributed to the rise in marketing.
“I definitely appreciate the hospitals’ renewed efforts and energy to get the word out there, but I think that’s just because the system’s catching up with itself more than we’re having to market it more aggressively right now,” he said.
However, Riggins said that he wouldn’t be shocked if vaccine eligibility is expanded soon.
St. Mary Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness Director David Naquin thinks that should happen.
He said Monday afternoon that he thinks the vaccine should be opened to all groups, with priority given to those who are at the greatest risk. He said that while there isn’t a lot of it, there are vaccines waiting to be distributed.
“There’s vaccine on the shelf waiting for an arm, and the people are just waiting” to be eligible, Naquin said.
A report by The Acadiana Advocate later Monday indicates a more wide-reaching availability of the vaccine could be announced Tuesday.
The newspaper cited a letter sent from the Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association to Louisiana pharmacies that would open Pfizer distribution to those ages 16 and above and ages 18 and older for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Among the conditions meeting the need are moderate to severe asthma, hypertension or high blood pressure, overweight or type 1 diabetes mellitus.
The newspaper reported those who work in a jail, shelter, group home or other “congregate living facility” would be eligible, too.
As of noon Monday, the Louisiana Office of Public Health reported that 784,241 vaccine series have begun and 448,730 have been completed. That’s an increase of 102,849 doses since the data was last updated Thursday. The data are updated on Mondays and Thursdays.
St. Mary has initiated 6,876 series and has completed 3,856, according to the Office of Public Health.
Meanwhile, Assumption Parish has begun 3,253 vaccines series and has completed 1,857 series, and St. Martin Parish has had 5,957 series initiated and 2,971 series completed.
Statewide, 515 COVID-19 new cases and 10 new deaths were reported Monday. Locally, there were 18 new cases. Of those, 10 were in St. Mary Parish, while four each were in St. Martin and Assumption parishes.
“It’s still there,” Naquin said of COVID-19 in St. Mary Parish. “People are still getting it, but not near at the rate they were getting it prior to the vaccines becoming more and more available. So I have to give it to the vaccines. I don’t know if there’s any one other thing that’s caused it, but certainly that was the big thing that’s helped curb it just a little bit.”
Riggins said vaccination efforts have been in “catch-up mode” due to recent freezing weather that set back inoculation efforts.
“All of our providers are trying to promote it and get the vaccine out, because we know that our state does better in terms of our statewide allocation if we use as much vaccine in the week we receive it as possible,” he said. “So yeah, they’re trying to just make it easy for the public to see those opportunities and jump on them.”
Riggins said the recent Johnson & Johnson shipment has provided a boost, too.
“The big shipment of Johnson & Johnson last week did change the game,” he said. “Unfortunately it’s going to be a couple of weeks before we get another shipment of Johnson & Johnson, so I think that’s going to tighten back up. I think the governor and our state leadership also watched this dynamic very closely in terms of how much carryover we have week to week and how many appointments we have available at any point in time when they decide to open up the groups, and they’re trying to gauge that.
“They’re trying to maintain an equity lens to who we’re opening up to with each different expansion of the tier of who’s eligible for the vaccine,” Riggins added.
At Franklin Foundation, patients continue to show interest, said Kevin Romero, marketing/business development and co-director of physician services.
He said they are conducting vaccinations three days a week with either two cycles of first doses and a round of second doses or two rounds of second doses and a round of first doses.
Romero said this coming week the hospital will not be doing any first doses due to the availability at other area locations. They only will be giving second doses before resuming first doses the following week.
He said it’s to allow the staff to have “just kind of a slight breather.”
As of Monday afternoon, the hospital had distributed both doses of the Pfizer vaccine to 1,253 patients, while 1,885 have received the first dose.
At Ochsner St. Mary, 7,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed, according to an Ochsner spokesperson, who said that the Ochsner Health System is receiving more vaccines on a regular basis now that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been given approval.
While Naquin thought there were multiple reasons for more vaccine available, including those hesitant to receive it, he also said the availability is a credit to rural parishes like St. Mary Parish for being ahead of other areas of the state in getting vaccine to those who are interested.