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As vaccine administrations continue, La healthcare facilities await more doses

3 years 2 months 5 days ago Tuesday, January 12 2021 Jan 12, 2021 January 12, 2021 7:30 AM January 12, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - COVID vaccinations are being administered across Louisiana in a process that, not without hurdles in its organizational structure, is gradually becoming more streamlined.  

As the much-needed immunizations are administered this week, personnel with local healthcare facilities can't help but look to the future in anticipation. Questions such as 'how many more vaccine doses will the state receive next week?' And, 'will the distribution process be changed?' come to mind. 

These questions will likely be addressed Tuesday (Jan. 12), during Governor John Bel Edwards 3:30 p.m. news conference

During the conference, which will be available to view on all WBRZ platforms, Governor Edwards will provide the public with a COVID update and any new vaccine-related information. 

Locals who are 70 years of age and older, now eligible to receive their vaccinations, are eager to learn where and when they can make appointments to be inoculated. 

As of Tuesday morning, there are a total of 209 locations, statewide, for them to choose from. 

CLICK HERE to view a list of these locations. 

Some locals, while curious about the COVID vaccine, are apprehensive about its side effects.

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) addresses these concerns on its website, stating: "COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting COVID-19. You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days."

The CDC adds that there are three major reasons for considering the vaccination. It lists these as: 

1. COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19

-All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19. Learn more about the different COVID-19 vaccines.

-All COVID-19 vaccines that are in development are being carefully evaluated in clinical trials and will be authorized or approved only if they make it substantially less likely you’ll get COVID-19. Learn more about how federal partners are ensuring COVID-19 vaccines work.

-Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.

-Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

-Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on severity of illness from COVID-19, as well as its ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.

2. COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection

-COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get sick, you could spread the disease to friends, family, and others around you.

-Clinical trials of all vaccines must first show they are safe and effective before any vaccine can be authorized or approved for use, including COVID-19 vaccines. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine must outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine for use under what is known as an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Watch a video on what an EUA is.

-Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. However, experts don’t know for sure how long this protection lasts, and the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an antibody (immune system) response without having to experience sickness.

-Both natural immunity and immunity produced by a vaccine are important parts of COVID-19 disease that experts are trying to learn more about, and CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.

3. COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic

-Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.

-The combination of getting vaccinated and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.

-Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available. As experts learn more about how COVID-19 vaccination may help reduce spread of the disease in communities.

CLICK HERE for additional information related to the COVID vaccine. 

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