BATON ROUGE – More Louisianans are now able to obtain a COVID vaccine under expanded groups.

WATCH LIVE WBRZ BREAKING NEWS AND STREAMING NEWSCASTS HERE

Already, many adults were able to get vaccinated after the state included a anyone with a body mass index – BMI – over 25, a questionable and often controversial number that claims to make someone classified as “overweight.”  Anyone with a BMI over 30 is considered obese.  It’s not difficult for the average person to be at or very near a BMI of 25, allowing most Louisianans access to the vaccine.

Though, still, some sought to wait until it was exactly time, and that has come, according to state health regulators Thursday.

Beginning Monday (March 22), more workers classified as essential will be eligible for a vaccine, no matter their health conditions.

In addition to the BMI eligibility, many other adults have had access to vaccine appointments due to a long and vague list of health conditions.  Earlier this year, teachers, police and sheriff’s deputies, first responders, and others, were given access.

As of Thursday (March 18), nearly 570,000 people had fully completed vaccine doses – whether a single-dose serum or the widely-used two doses.  In all, more than 1.5 million people had received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine in Louisiana.  WBRZ tracks vaccination information here.

Beginning Monday, March 22, people working in these jobs will be able to schedule vaccine appointments:

-Higher Education faculty/staff

-Food and agricultural workers

-Food service (restaurant/bar) workers, hotel workers, and other hospitality workers

-Judiciary staff, including judges, court staff, clerks of court and staff, district attorneys and public defenders

-Postal workers

-Manufacturing workers

-Grocery store workers

-Transportation workers, including river pilots

-Water and wastewater workers

-Energy workers

-Bank tellers

-Construction workers

-Clergy

-IT and communications workers

-Media workers

-Public safety engineers and other workers

-Public health workers

-Frontline government workers

-Child, youth, and family service workers

-Veterinarians and support staff

-Waste management workers

-Public and private security and emergency preparedness workers

You can find your nearest vaccine location by clicking HERE.