Louisiana coronavirus vaccine eligibility expands to people 16+ with certain health conditions

Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday people age 16 and older with certain health conditions are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, a dramatic expansion in Louisiana's effort to overcome the pandemic.

The announcement comes a day after state health officials began notifying pharmacies of the new vaccine priority groups, which includes adults of all ages who meet specific criteria that put them at increased risk for severe illness from the novel coronavirus.

Among those who would qualify for the vaccine, according to an email sent to independent pharmacies, are individuals 16 and older for Pfizer vaccine or 18 and older for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines with the following conditions:

• moderate to severe asthma
• cerebrovascular disease
• cystic fibrosis
• hypertension or high blood pressure
• immunocompromised state from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids or use of other immune weakening medicines
• neurologic conditions, such as dementia
• liver disease
• overweight
• pulmonary fibrosis
• thalassemia
• type 1 diabetes mellitus

Read more: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/coronavirus/article_a1990c34-8049-11eb-8ae1-dbe6065d5a2b.html