WGNO

Ochsner introduces new strategy to solve low vaccine turnout

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)- Ochsner Baton Rouge will offer all three COVID-19 vaccines at multiple pop-up clinics events beginning May 11.

The effort to provide the choice of Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson and Johnson comes after low turnouts out at mass vaccination sites.


“Creating that accessibility to the vaccine that they want, they prefer, that is the best way to get vaccinated,” Charlene Ho, Ochsner Director of Population Health.

Tuesday’s pop-up clinic at the BREC-Jefferson Park had a lower turnout than expected.

“We brought enough doses for 42 patients and we vaccinated 19 people today,” Ho said.

The focus on the pop-up clinics is to provide access to Covid-19 vaccines in underserved areas.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, around 26 percent of people in the Baton Rouge area are fully vaccinated for the virus.

“This is essentially to make the Baton Rouge area healthier,” Ho said.

Ho says people are scheduling appointments for the Johnson and John vaccine despite the FDA putting out a warning of are blood clots linked to the shot.

The Ochsner staff will be available at the following locations and times:

BREC-Jefferson Park

8133 Jefferson Highway

Beacon Light Church

7513 Prescott Road

Iberville Parish Health Unit

24705 Plaza Drive A

Elm Grove Baptist Church

1069 North St.