EBR Council on Aging partners with mayor, Albertson’s to administer coronavirus vaccine

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The number of vaccinations will go up in the Baton Rouge area. East Baton Rouge’s Council on Aging is partnering with the mayor’s office and Albertson’s to give out the Moderna vaccine to elders.

They are giving out 965 doses in the next three days. Several folks came out Tuesday to get the shot, and within the next 28 days they will get the second dose.

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The pop-up vaccination site was created in response to the limited amount of doses for the state and certain parishes. The mayor’s office hopes that by doing this, the will be able to protect the more vulnerable population.

“The closer [and] the more people that get the vaccine, the closer we get to a level of normalcy in our state and certainly in our community,” said Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

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The Council on Aging does not have anymore available spots for vaccine appointments, but they hope they can do this again in the future.

Patricia Williams is getting her first dose of the Moderna vaccine, she changed her mind on the vaccine after thinking about her family.

“Taking this injection may save my life and the lives of my grandchildren because if I’m infected and they are coming around then there’s a chance that they can get infected,” says Williams.

Williams, like many others senior wanted the vaccine, that’s why the Council on Aging is partnering with the mayor’s office and Albertson to vaccinate as many as possible to protect Louisiana’s most vulnerable population.

“This is a critical opportunity for us to educate our seniors who have been leery, afraid, fearful and apprehensive because of some misinformation and miseducation,” says Tasha Clark-Amar who is the chief executive officer of EBR Council on Aging.

The Council is giving out almost a thousand doses this week, but many seniors are still struggling to get appointments at hospitals and other pharmacies. The Council on Aging is already booked through the week, but the state is hopeful it will relieve some of the strain with another manufacturer.

“There is a 3rd manufacture coming on board. The EUA that has not been decided or I haven’t heard, but that’s going to help too. So, the more we get in, the more we are going to be able to get it,” says Julie Spiers who is the director of pharmacy operations for Louisiana Albertsons.

EBR’s Council on Aging plans to administer the second dose of the vaccine within the next 28 days. The council also added that they are hoping to do something like this again in the future to help more senior citizens.

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