Baton Rouge COVID-19 vaccination event on Nov. 21 to feature fun for the whole family

The Louisiana Department of Health is partnering with The Links, Incorporated’s La Capitale and Baton Rouge chapters as well as other community partners to host a free, family-friendly COVID-19 vaccination event this Sunday, November 21 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Quarters-Endless Entertainment, 4530 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. in Baton Rouge.

 

Families can visit here or call the Vaccine Hotline at 1-855-453-0774 to register for the event.

 

Participating adults and children ages 5 to 17 can receive free COVID-19 vaccinations and an opportunity to receive a Shot for $100 Visa debit card for going #SleevesUp (first doses only) before the rewards program ends on November 30. The event will also feature activities for the entire family including live music, free food, a photo booth, door prizes and one hour of free play at Quarters.

 

Similar to what was seen in adult vaccine trials, the vaccine is nearly 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 among children ages 5-11 years. Community-based vaccination events make vaccines more widely accessible and remain an important component of fighting COVID-19 in Louisiana.

 

Currently, the CDC reports that more than 48% of Louisianans are fully vaccinated against COVID and nearly 53%, about 2.5 million people, have taken at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, more than 118,000 children in Louisiana have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

 

For a person younger than age 18, parental/caregiver consent is needed to get the shot. LDH has developed a consent form that can be found on its website at ldh.la.gov/kidsvax.

 

Families should contact their local vaccine provider to confirm they have the COVID-19 pediatric vaccine. Families can call 211 or the COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 1-855-453-0774 with general questions or to find a vaccination location near them. Families can also visit the federal vaccine finder at Vaccines.gov to find a local pediatric vaccine provider.  

 

COVID-19 cases in children can result in hospitalizations, deaths, MIS-C (multi-inflammatory syndrome in children) and long-term complications, such as “long COVID,” in which symptoms can linger for months. The spread of the Delta variant resulted in a surge of COVID-19 cases in children throughout the summer. During a 6-week period in late June to mid-August, COVID-19 hospitalizations among children and adolescents increased fivefold.

 

Vaccination, along with other preventative measures, can protect children from COVID-19 using the safe and effective vaccines already recommended for use in adolescents and adults in the United States. The most common side effect was a sore arm. 

 

COVID-19 vaccines have undergone — and will continue to undergo — the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. Vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reducing their risk of severe disease, hospitalizations, or developing long-term COVID-19 complications. 

 

Getting your children vaccinated can help protect them against COVID-19, as well as reduce disruptions to in-person learning and activities by helping curb community transmission.  

 

Families can call the COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 1-855-453-0774 to find a provider in their area and to speak to medical professionals with clinical experience who can help answer their questions.