Louisiana Department of Health Announces Expanded Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots to Ages 5-11
Louisiana Department of Health Announces Expanded Eligibility for COVID-19 Booster Shots to Ages 5-11
On May 20, 2022, following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have expanded eligibility for COVID-19 booster doses to children ages 5 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that children aged 5 to 11 receive a booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech series.
Furthermore, the CDC is strengthening its recommendation for a second booster at least four months after the first for everyone 50 and older, as well as those 12 and older who are immunocompromised.
According to the CDC, more than 4.8 million children aged 5 to 11 have been diagnosed with COVID since the pandemic began, with over 180 deaths nationwide. In Louisiana, 180,141 children aged 5 to 11 have been diagnosed with COVID, and 21 have died. Total COVID cases in Louisiana had increased nearly 568 percent in the previous month as of May 19.
“We welcome these clear, evidence-based recommendations from the CDC: everyone 5 and up should be vaccinated and boosted. Everyone 50 and up and everyone 12 and up with immunosuppressive conditions should go further and receive a second booster. This is all the more important as we unfortunately see COVID-19 cases rising again throughout Louisiana. As families prepare for summer activities and the upcoming school year, now is the time to make sure your child is up to date on their vaccinations,” said State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter.
CDC data continue to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated and boosted, if eligible, to protect against serious COVID-19 outcomes such as hospitalization and death. During the recent Omicron surge, boosted people were 7 times less likely to be hospitalized and 21 times less likely to die from COVID-19 than unvaccinated people.
The Louisiana Department of Health has reviewed the most recent CDC guidance and notified all vaccine providers in the state that it is now effective.
Call the COVID-19 Support Hotline at 1-855-453-0774 if you have any questions about COVID-19 testing, therapeutics, vaccines, or other related issues. Visit covid.gov for a list of locations near you, or text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) in English or VACUNA (822862) in Spanish.
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