First COVID-19 vaccines available in Richland

Louisiana began receiving the first very limited doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine which became available Jan. 4 at 107 pharmacies across the state.

In Richland Parish, the vaccine will be available at Delhi Health Center Pharmacy, 414 Broadway St., Delhi. 

However, as of Monday, the pharmacy had already reached the assigned allotment of vaccines for this week and did not plan to be accepting any more names for the list of vaccines until the beginning of next week. 

Those interested in getting the vaccine and meeting the criteria to get it are asked to call the pharmacy at 318-878-5104 next week to be added to the waiting list.

The vaccines will be available only for those in Phase 1B, Tier One: 

• People who are 70 years of age and above;

Home health services patients and staff; 

• Ambulatory/outpatient health care personnel;

• Residents, students and staff of schools of allied health; and

• People being treated for end stage renal disease (patients on dialysis). 

LDH has published the list of participating pharmacies, along with their locations and contact information, on its website: covidvaccine.la.gov.

Eligible residents must contact a participating pharmacy and make an appointment at the pharmacy. Patients who arrive without an appointment will not be vaccinated. Do not arrive at a location without an appointment. 

These 107 pharmacies — 45 chain pharmacies and 62 independent pharmacies — represent 51 parishes and all nine public health regions of the state.

The Louisiana Department of Health is coordinating the COVID-19 vaccine distribution effort in Louisiana. 

As more vaccines become available from the CDC, more individuals and groups will be offered a vaccination.

The goal is to provide everyone with the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID.