HAMMOND, Louisiana— Covid-19 vaccination rates in Louisiana have been underperforming for the past 14 Days, and officials have tried everything from a $ 1 million financial gift and a public service announcement starring the recent national spelling bee champion to get things moving.
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LeBlanc Finally Surrendered
It wasn’t until this week that Madeline LeBlanc finally surrendered and had her first dosage of vaccine that she was motivated by dread.
Ms. LeBlanc, a 24-year-old mother of two, knew that without a vaccine, she was putting herself and her family at risk, as well as others around her. Not at all,” he responds.
As a Baton Rouge resident, I don’t want to “inhibit someone else’s health,” says LeBlanc.
An increase in the number of coronavirus illnesses has spurred the latest round of vaccine development. However, vaccines take time to build the immune system, and the state, which is currently leading the country in new cases, could be weeks away from relief.
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Seeking Treatment For Covid-19-Related Illnesses
More and more people are seeking treatment for Covid-19-related illnesses in hospitals. Overcrowding in intensive care units is a problem in every hospital, even those serving children. It has been reported that patients in their 20s and 30s who had the Delta form were fast deteriorating and dying.
Dr. Catherine O’Neal, medical director of the Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, remarked, “These are the darkest days of our pandemic”.
Diagnoses of the Delta type have risen sharply in the US, but Louisiana has become a particularly dangerous hotspot, with the nation’s highest per capita rate of cases and a healthcare system failing to keep up.
Wave of Frustration And Embarrassment
According to the governor, “It’s a hellish place to be,” he stated. Government officials, epidemiologists, and front-line medical professionals in John Bel Edwards’ state have expressed a wave of frustration and embarrassment over the disastrous effects of not vaccinating more people.
A hospital in Baton Rouge called in federal emergency support troops normally earmarked for hurricanes. Nurses in Hammond, Louisiana’s southernmost city of 21,000, were told to take on extra shifts.
Many states are seeing an increase in vaccination rates as a result of the return to work and school of immunizations mandated by employers and universities. States like Mississippi and Florida, whose vaccination rates have lagged below the national average, have seen outbreaks coincide with an uptick in cases recorded.
Mask Requirement
Governor Edwards renewed a statewide mask requirement, which went into force on Wednesday and requires anybody 5 years old and over to cover their face inside, in an effort to help moderate the spread of the illness in Louisiana while also pressing for more immunizations.
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Last Words
But since the beginning of the pandemic, the governor’s directives have been met with furious resistance. Residents were told to wear mask and follow the orders of doctors and hospital officials on Monday, and his voice trembled with frustration as he pleaded with them not to ignore the developing catastrophe.
Does it matter to you? What do you want to know? “I hope so, too. :)” Yes, that’s correct. The most pro-life state in the US, he says, is Louisiana. That’s something I’d want to believe.”
