Omicron COVID boosters are on their way to Louisiana. What you need to know.
Louisiana residents will soon be able to get COVID vaccine boosters that target the virus's most prevalent variants, state health officials said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the new boosters last week.
The boosters, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna target both the original virus and the most recent variants, called BA.4 and BA.5. The two strains of the omicron variant represent more than 90% of the virus now circulating through the U.S. and world, state health officials said.
The Pfizer-BioNTech shots will be available free of charge to anyone 12 and older, while Moderna's will be for adults.
The Louisiana Health Department has notified all healthcare providers that the guidance is effective immediately and they can start ordering the vaccine, State Health Officeer Joseph Kanter said in a news release. The boosters are expected to become available in coming days.
"The mRNA platform held promise to revolutionize our ability to respond in real time to a swiftly mutating virus. This is a realization of that promise — an updated booster targeting BA.4 and BA.5, made available while those variants represent over 90% of currently circulating virus," Kanter said. "I personally plan to get the updated booster and I recommend others who are eligible do so as well."
More:CDC recommends reformulated Pfizer, Moderna COVID boosters for all Americans over 12
More:COVID vaccine required for most public university students in Louisiana. Who's exempt?
The new vaccines replace older COVID boosters that had not been targeted at the omicron variants. People may receive either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine regardless of which they received for their primary or booster dose, the CDC says. People must wait at least two months after their last booster or shot to get the new booster.
Both CDC and state Health Department recommend that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19 and that everyone ages 5 and up get a booster as soon as they are eligible.
Louisiana cases decline for week
Louisiana reported 11,074 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 4.8% from the previous week. The previous week had 11,634 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Louisiana ranked seventh among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 17.1% from the week before, with 543,317 cases reported. With 1.4% of the country's population, Louisiana had 2.04% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 16 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
The Labor Day holiday may have altered how many people can get tested and when, and when governments report testing results and deaths. This will skew week-to-week comparisons. Johns Hopkins University has been getting data on an erratic schedule from Louisiana, skewing week-to-week comparisons.
What about Terrebonne and Lafourche?
Terrebonne Parish reported 246 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 330 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 36,345 cases and 427 deaths.
Lafourche reported 186 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 228 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic, the parish it has reported 32,206 cases and 386 deaths.
As of Monday, 44.5% of Terrebonne residents and 49.75% in Lafourche are fully vaccinated against the virus, state data show.
Parishes with greatest declines and increases
Across Louisiana, cases fell in 37 parishes, with the greatest declines in Jefferson Parish, with 687 cases from 856 a week earlier; in Orleans Parish, with 532 cases from 699; and in St. Tammany Parish, with 595 cases from 756.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Within Louisiana, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Franklin Parish with 1,039 cases per 100,000 per week; Winn Parish with 503; and Richland Parish with 497. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were East Baton Rouge Parish, with 1,001 cases; Caddo Parish, with 712 cases; and Jefferson Parish, with 687. Weekly case counts rose in 25 parishes from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Ouachita, East Baton Rouge and Franklin parishes.
In Louisiana, 34 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 66 people were reported dead.
A total of 1,433,525 people in Louisiana have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 17,877 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 94,748,404 people have tested positive and 1,047,498 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Louisiana's COVID-19 hospital admissions staying flat
The USA TODAY Network analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 791.
The week before that: 798.
Four weeks ago: 990.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 63,337.
The week before that: 64,048.
Four weeks ago: 71,125.
Hospitals in 10 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 15 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 21 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
Got questions about the latest shots?
Call the Louisiana COVID-19 Support Hotline at 1-855-453-0774. For a list of vaccine locations near you, visit vaccines.govor text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) in English or VACUNA (822862) in Spanish.
This article originally appeared on Daily Comet: Omicron COVID boosters are on their way to Louisiana. What to know.
