JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — The largest mass vaccination event to date in Louisiana is coming to the Shrine on Airline next week in Metairie.
Ochsner Health and Jefferson Parish are sponsoring the Vaccine Festival.
The drive-up event will run continuously for 24 hours from 10 a.m. on Monday until 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Organizers plan to administer 6,500 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
“We would normally be kicking off a variety of different festivals here, so we felt it was appropriate in the absence of traditional festivals to have a vaccine fest,” said Dawn Pevey, Ochsner CEO for System Centers of Excellence & Service Lines.
Pevey said demand for the shot has slacked off a bit.
“Early on when we started this, we opened a schedule and it would fill up in 20 minutes and that has not been the case over the last couple of weeks,” Pevey said.
Pevey added, with all adults in Louisiana eligible for the vaccine beginning Monday, interest has picked up again.
Dr. Daniel Sarpong chairs the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparity at Xavier University in New Orleans.
He said getting a vaccine is the only way to put a lid on COVID.
“I want to encourage everybody to seek the right information,” Sarpong said. “Make the best decision for yourself because the benefit of getting it far outweighs any risk.”
Dr. Sarpong says mass vaccination events like Vax Fest make it harder for people to say no to the shot.
“Taking it to where people are I think is the way to go and making it easy because a person who is not sure and sitting on the fence is going to look for every excuse not to do it,” Sarpong said.
Back at the Shrine or Airline, Ochsner will be serving up vaccines with a side of fun.
There will be bands playing during the festival and a special playlist for people to listen to during their post-vaccination wait time.
"We really want to celebrate the fact that vaccines are available,” Pevey said.“We know this is our way to the end of the pandemic and the pandemic has kept us from doing so many fun things that we really want to be able to celebrate that.”
You still have to make an appointment get a shot during the vaccine festival.
You can schedule your time slot online at myochsner.org or by phone at 844-888-2772.
