Share This:

With Recent COVID Case Increases, Louisiana Department of Health Reaffirms Recommendation that Eligible Children be Vaccinated

On May 18, 2022, the Louisiana Department of Health reaffirmed its official recommendation that all eligible children receive the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves and their families. LDH stated that this public health recommendation has not changed; in fact, it is more urgent now given the recent increases in COVID cases, percent positivity, and emergency department visits for COVID-like illness across the state.

LDH is adjusting its plans and will not add the COVID-19 vaccine to the school immunization schedule ahead of the upcoming school year as the COVID-19 vaccine for younger children continues down its FDA full approval pathway. While we strongly recommend that all eligible children get vaccinated against COVID-19 right away, if they haven’t already, we’re making this decision to give families and schools enough time to prepare.

The Louisiana Department of Health indicated that they expected more age groups to have full FDA approval in advance of the 2022-2023 school year when they began the standard process of adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the school immunization schedule. Because the FDA has not yet fully approved the COVID-19 vaccine for those under the age of 16, students in Louisiana will not be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the start of the 2022 school year. We have complete faith in the FDA’s rigorous processes; however, they do take time.

Vaccinating children ages 5-17 is the best way to protect them against COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the LDH.

COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death among children ages 5-14 and young people ages 15-24 in January 2022, according to the most recent Kaiser Family Foundation data.

Louisiana has tragically lost 21 children to COVID since March 2020, all of whom were not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Louisiana Department of Health has also confirmed 331 cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a condition in which various body parts, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs, become inflamed. MIS-C is strongly associated with COVID-19 infection, and vaccination appears to be effective in lowering the risk of developing MIS-C.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still spreading in Louisiana. The COVID-19 lull that followed the Omicron surge earlier this year is beginning to reverse. While hospitalizations are currently low, the number of cases, percent positivity, and emergency department visits for COVID-like illness are all increasing statewide.

LDH is sharing this official guidance with sister state agencies, elected officials, and community partners across the state, but it also encourages the general public to share it with their communities.

Follow this link to report a typo or other issue.