UPDATE: The federal government announced another increase in vaccine allotments this week. Read more here: https://www.wbrz.com/news/feds-announce-another-bump-for-states-covid-vaccine-allotments

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BATON ROUGE - During the first week of February, a total of 406 vaccine providers across the state will receive very limited doses of COVID vaccine. 

These providers —– including 143 chain pharmacies, 118 independent pharmacies, 55 hospitals, 28 community health centers (including 23 federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs), 7 rural health clinics (RHCs) and an additional 55 healthcare sites — represent all nine public health regions and 64 parishes of the state.

LDH has published the list of participating providers on its website: covidvaccine.la.gov. In addition, residents can call 211 to find a vaccine provider near them.

Future distribution is dependent on vaccine made available to the state, among other factors.

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

-Persons ages 70 years or older

-Health-related support personnel (labs, mortuary, pharmacy)

-Outpatient clinic providers and clinic staff

-Urgent care clinic providers and staff

-Community care clinic providers and staff

-Behavioral health clinic providers and staff

-Dialysis providers and clients 

-Home care providers (including hospice workers) and home care recipients (including older and younger people with disabilities over the age of 16 who receive community or home-based care, as well as clients of home health agencies)

-Dental providers and staff

-American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and Support Service Providers (SSPs) working in community and clinic-based settings, and clients who are both deaf and blind

-Students, residents, faculty and staff of allied health schools (if not already receiving or in a plan to receive from their respective schools)

The Health Department says that participating providers must make available vaccine available to anyone who is eligible and that any failure to do so will inform future decisions about distribution. 

Eligible residents are urged to contact a participating provider and make an appointment with them as patients who arrive without an appointment will not be vaccinated. 

Patients should receive their second doses of the COVID vaccine at the same location where they received their first dose. Second-dose appointments should be made during the administration of the first dose.

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 Department of Health said in a Monday, Feb. 1 statement, "We want everyone to have the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID. We are confident that COVID-19 vaccines will be a critical tool in ultimately ending the pandemic." 

Last week, President Biden updates citizens on the federal government's latest efforts in the fight against coronavirus and distribution of vaccinations.

This week, additional updates from the White House are likely.

Click HERE for the latest on coronavirus in Louisiana.