BATON ROUGE, La. — Governor John Bel Edwards has rejected a House committee's action on the COVID-19 vaccine and will add it to the schedule of immunizations for all populations for which it has full FDA approval. Right now, that means anyone 16 years of age and older.
“I understand that any issue around COVID-19, especially those that involve our children, can be divisive, I ask that you and your colleagues work with me to get more people in Louisiana vaccinated," said Edwards in a letter to Larry Bagley, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health and Welfare.
Edwards said the action is coming to help save lives.
"Tragically, we have lost almost 15,000 people to COVID-19 in the last 22 months," Edwards added.
The House Health and Welfare committee voted 13-2 not to allow the vaccination requirement, even though the state has easily obtainable exceptions for people who do not wish to have their children vaccinated.
The action by Edwards could well draw a legal challenge.
"This proposed rule has no merit and it’s ill-advised,” said State Attorney General Jeff Landry at the December 6 hearing and vote. “It makes policy and mandates vaccines."
"Despite the misleading and conspiratorial rhetoric provided at the House Health and Welfare meeting last week, this rule does not force 'experimental shots' on children," said Edwards last week in response to the House committee vote. "The rule explicitly only applies to “vaccines that have been fully approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the individual’s age.”