Who is in the next priority coronavirus vaccine group in Louisiana? Higher education, clergy, more | Coronavirus

Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration quietly added new groups of people to the next phase of vaccine priority, giving clergy, veterinarians and faculty and staff at colleges and universities the priority for vaccines.

The University of Louisiana System, in an email to its faculty, said the Louisiana Department of Health has added higher education faculty and staff to “Phase 1B Tier 2” vaccine deployment. Currently, the state is in “Phase 1B Tier 1”, and it is not known when Edwards plans to move to the next level.

The email cited an LDH memo dated Feb.18 that made two changes not announced by Edwards last week, when he reorganized the current pool of eligible people to add K-12 teachers and others. The memo said the clergy and “institutes of higher education faculty and personnel” were among the next level of eligible people. Veterinarians and staff have also been added.

A spokesperson for the LDH confirmed this decision on Monday.

The state had already placed “judicial personnel”, prison officers and jailers, food and agricultural workers, veterinarians and staff, postal personnel and others in the next group.

The date on which this group will receive the vaccine has not yet been announced.

Edwards said last week he would add K-12 and daycare teachers and staff, as well as pregnant women and those aged 55 to 64 with a list of specified health issues, to the current eligibility group. People aged 65 and over already had access to the vaccine.

Louisiana received more than 90,000 doses of the vaccine this week, an increase from previous weeks which Edwards cited as a reason he was expanding priority groups. A host of interest groups – including state and federal judges – have pressured the governor to prioritize themselves or their workers for vaccinations.