Due to "unprecedented demand" and a high volume of COVID-19 vaccine appointment requests, Ochsner Lafayette General is making changes to its vaccine schedule.
COVID-19 vaccine supply is a national concern, officials say, and not unlike the rest of the country, OLG's vaccine shipments remain variable. Ocshner was not given its allotment of vaccines this week, and due to the limited supply, will no longer be able to schedule new appointments for the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines. Some currently scheduled appointments will also be impacted.
Patients with first dose appointments scheduled for Thursday, January 21 - Monday, January 25 will receive a notification via text, email, or automated phone message if their appointment is postponed. Those individuals will have priority access to reschedule once OLG receives additional vaccines.
Patients scheduled for a second dose are guaranteed their second dose, and these appointments will not be canceled or postponed.
Since December 15, Ochsner has administered more than 9,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to employees, community physicians, other healthcare workers, and people ages 70 and older throughout the community. Officials say they're encouraged by the enthusiasm about the vaccine.
"We understand that our community members are eager and excited to receive the vaccine and acknowledge this news is disappointing. Rest assured, Ochsner is working quickly and diligently to be able to schedule and administer as many vaccines as possible once we receive additional inventory.
We appreciate our partners at the state and at the Louisiana Department of Health for sharing our focus on vaccinating Louisiana as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your ongoing interest and patience as we navigate this complex and evolving process."
For the latest information from Ochsner Lafayette General regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers