BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — A child between the ages of 5 and 11 died from COVID-19, according to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), becoming the sixth such death since the start of the disease’s fourth surge.
In total, 15 children under the age of 18 have died from COVID-19 in Louisiana, according to LDH.
“For the sixth time since this fourth COVID surge began, we mourn the loss of a child. Every life lost is a tragedy,” said Dr. Joseph Kanter, State Health Officer. “Our young children who are not eligible to get the vaccine rely on us to protect them, and the best way we can do that is to get the vaccine and wear a mask.”
LDH said no further information will be released on the child’s death.
LDH officials said everyone age 12 and older is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Louisiana. The FDA has fully approved Pfizer’s Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ages 16 and older. The Pfizer vaccine for those between the ages of 12 and 15 remains under emergency use authorization. Parents should confirm with the vaccine provider that their child is under 18 to ensure the Pfizer vaccine is available before making an appointment.
For a list of locations, visit LDH’s vaccine directory or visit vaccines.gov, which is maintained by the federal government. Please note that some sites may be temporarily inactive due to Hurricane Ida. Before you go, check with the site you intend to visit to ensure that it is open.
To get a list of vaccine locations near you text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) in English, or VACUNA (822862) in Spanish.
If you have questions, would like to speak with a medical professional or need help scheduling an appointment, call 211 or Louisiana’s vaccine hotline at 1-855-453-0774.