Next week Louisiana will potentially receive 134,000 doses of COVID vaccine, the state’s largest-ever weekly allocation.
State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter said they expect to receive 52,650 Pfizer doses and 45,000 Moderna doses. If Johnson and Johnson receives approval Friday or Saturday as is expected Kanter said the state has been informed that about 37,000 to 38,000 J&J vaccines would arrive in Louisiana next week as well.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is reportedly much easier to transport and store than Moderna and Pfizer and J&J only requires one shot as opposed to a two-shot sequence.
Nearly 600,000 Louisianans have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. Kanter said that number is set to start growing at a much faster rate.
“It could not come at a better time,” said Kanter. “Weather has cleared up, we have newly eligible categories, and our providers are ready to administer these vaccines, so that is very exciting,” said Kanter.
Recently teachers and those 55 and older with certain medical conditions gained vaccine eligibility. Roughly 1.5 million Louisianans are now eligible to receive a vaccine.
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