Teachers now eligible for vaccine

COVID-19 vaccines are now available in Evangeline Parish for select groups which include seniors and people with certain health conditions. According to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), the vaccine is only currently available to people age 65a or older, dialysis providers and patients, professional home care providers and home care recipients, law enforcement and other first responders, people ages 55 to 64 with certain conditions, such as cancer, COPD, etc. A full list of eligible vaccine recipients and vaccine locations by parish is available on the LDH website: ldh.la.gov/covidvaccine-locations/
Teachers and school support staff are also among those able to receive the vaccine. School Superintendent Darwan Lazard said, “I am very happy that teachers and other school employees in Evangeline Parish and throughout Louisiana are now able to have access to a COVID-19 vaccine. I appreciate the efforts of local pharmacies to reach out to our schools and offer to go onto campuses to inoculate our personnel. Access to the vaccination will help to protect our wonderful employees from the awful coronavirus as we strive to safely educate the precious children of Evangeline Parish. Mass vaccinations will help us return to normalcy more quickly in our schools, communities, homes/families, and churches.”
Vaccines are allocated by the state. Pharmacies do not have control over which vaccines are in stock. The federal government is providing the vaccine at no cost. The reimbursement for the administration fee will either be billed to private insurers or be covered by the federal government.
According to the LDH website, as of Monday, February 22, the following Evangeline Parish pharmacies have (limited) quantities of the COVID-19 vaccine: Ville Platte Walmart, 891 E LaSalle Street (337-363-4934); Poinciana Pharmacy, 1508 Cajun Drive, Mamou (337-655-9790); Reed’s Family Pharmacy, 1009 6th Street, Mamou (337-550-4407); Savoy Drugstore, 813 Poinciana Avenue, Mamou 337-468-3666); Thrifty Way Pharmacy of Basile, 3131 Stagg Avenue (337-305-0443). Anyone who falls within the eligible guidelines who wishes to receive the vaccine must call their pharmacy of choice to schedule an appointment.
An updated list of vaccine locations will be announced tomorrow, March 1. Probable other sites are Evangeline Drug Store in Ville Platte and Thrifty Way Pharmacy in Ville Platte.
Additionally, Region 4 of the LDH announced there will be a mass vaccination at the Ville Platte Northside Civic Center on Thursday, March 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., by appointment only. Call the LDH at 337-262-5311 to make an appointment. Wear a face covering and be prepared to wait 15 to 30 minutes after the injection to make sure there is no averse reaction. They will be providing the Moderna vaccine. There is a 28 day wait until second injection. There is no out of pocket expense to take the vaccine.