Public, private entities begin rolling out vaccine mandates

Staff Report
After Monday’s federal approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, moves by private and public entities to require vaccinations have begun. And so has a backlash.
LSU and Ochsner Health System, which operates Morgan City’s Ochsner St. Mary hospital, announced vaccination requirements Tuesday. State Rep. Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, sent out a press release offering advice on how to avoid vaccine requirements under Louisiana law.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the two-dose Pfizer vaccine Monday for people 16 and over. The vaccine had previously been offered to people 12 and over under emergency use authorization, as had the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines are still awaiting full approval.
Meanwhile, St. Mary was hit hard again by the COVID-19 Delta variant.
Five more COVID-related deaths in St. Mary were reported for the 24 hours ending at midday Tuesday. The fatalities raise the pandemic death toll in the parish to 180, including 33 deaths since Aug. 1.
The count of new St. Mary COVID cases was at 29 Tuesday, one of the lowest in weeks.
Across Louisiana, the OPH reported 3,814 new cases Tuesday, along with 139 deaths.
Another 22 people were hospitalized in Louisiana for COVID treatment, raising that total to 2,856. Before Tuesday, the number of hospitalizations had declined in three consecutive OPH reports following 16 straight days of record-setting numbers.
Ochsner said in a press release Tuesday that “following full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Ochsner Health (Ochsner) announced a mandatory requirement that all its physicians, providers and employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 29, 2021.
“This formal announcement comes as the Gulf South continues to face high COVID-19 positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths. Today, Ochsner is caring for 979 COVID-19 patients. More than 88%, 865, are unvaccinated.”
“This policy is the right thing to do to protect our employees, their families, and our patients,” said President and CEO Warner Thomas.
LSU said in a press release that the FDA approval means the university may require COVID vaccinations for students and members of the faculty and staff.
“Louisiana law allows for students to opt out of vaccinations, and those who choose this route will be required to be tested for COVID on a regular basis,” the university said in a press release. “Students have until Sept. 10 to submit proof of their first vaccination or formally opt out. …”
Faculty and staff members can opt out for medical reasons, the university said.
Nicholls State and other University of Louisiana System schools announced earlier this week that COVID-19 vaccine is being added to the list of required vaccinations for students.
In her press release, Edmonston said Louisiana law says the vaccine requirements can be waived on behalf of students in K-12 schools, colleges and day care with a physician’s statement or written notice filed by parents.
People also have the right to decline vaccination or other treatment for reasons of religion, health or conscience, she said, even during a public health emergency.