Gov. John Bel Edwards and a panel of medical experts have come together for a special roundtable conversation, The COVID-19 Vaccine in Louisiana: What You Need to Know, focused on Louisiana’s plan for the vaccine and to answer some of the most frequently asked questions including: Is it safe and effective? Who will get it and when? How will it work?  The expert panel includes: Dr. Joseph Kanter, an ER doctor who is leading the Louisiana Department of Health’s COVID response, Dr. Reynold Verret, president of Xavier University and pharmacist who participated in the clinical trial and Dr. Tina Stefanski, Office of Public Health Regional Medical Director for Region 4 (Acadiana). The half-hour program was produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting and hosted by LPB’s André Moreau.

To date, the virus has sadly claimed the lives of nearly 7,000 Louisianans and there are more than 275,000 cases which continue to increase along with hospitalizations and percent positivity across the state.

“This long awaited vaccine is a ray of hope and our best chance for ending this pandemic and controlling the virus,” said Gov. Edwards. “We are especially grateful to the scientists and medical community for their work on this vaccine that will truly save lives and all of the frontline healthcare heroes who have been fighting for all of us since this pandemic started. Just as the virus is new so is the vaccine, and there are many questions that need to be answered.”

Source: LPB