The FDA may or may not decide the fate of booster shots to battle Covid-19. More from Dave Brannen.
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The mass evacuation of more than 800 nursing home patients to an overcrowded warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish renews calls to revise evacuation plans and oversight. Brooke Thorington has more.
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Small business owners across Louisiana report the COVID pandemic is making it hard for them to get needed inventory and make a profit. More from Kevin Gallagher.
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The Food and Drug Administration meets today to discuss the idea of a third booster shot being needed for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Dr. John Vanchiere, LSU Health Shreveport Professor of Pediatrics, says the agency has much to consider from the data collected thus far.
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The FDA meeting today may or may not lead to an immediate decision on the necessity for a third shot. Vanchiere was the principal investigator of the Pfizer vaccine clinical trial in north Louisiana.
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Vanchiere says the additional booster could have significant consequences.
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But, thus far the FDA has been mostly neutral on the need for boosters, even though the Biden administration expects to launch a campaign next week favoring the additional shot.
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Louisiana Agriculture Secretary Mike Strain says concerns about encephalitis and West Nile virus are up given the pre-Ida rainfall, as well as the rains and ponding of water from the storm itself.
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Strain says there’s been a two-fold increase in the number of horses getting sick with Equine encephalitis.
Strain says the ongoing surge in mosquitoes will lead to other problems.
Strain says the various hosts can allow mosquitoes to spread the virus to horses and humans.
Strain is advising owners to make sure their horses are vaccinated and if you haven’t boosted your horse within six months you need to booster them with a multi-valent for eastern, western and West Nile. He says people need to do what they can to avoid contact with mosquitoes, cleaning out anything that may be holding water on your property.
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Since Katrina, nursing homes are required to report their evacuation plans annually to the department of health. AARP Louisiana Associate Director of Advocacy Andrew Muhl says but what happened in Tangipahoa Parish during Hurricane Ida was a complete failure of oversite, enforcement, and planning.
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Muhl believes nursing home evacuation plans will be revisited in the next legislative session which begins in March and AARP wants to be part of the discussion.
The evacuation of the more than 800 patients also brought to light the lack of communication between the nursing homes and emergency contacts for the residents. Once the state began removing patients, family members had to call 2-1-1 to locate their loved ones. Muhl says this is another critical issue that plans should address the notification of next of kin.
Seven patients that were part of the mass evacuation died.
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A new survey by the National Federation of Independent Business shows more than half of small businesses have been negatively affected by pandemic-related supply chain issues. NFIB State Director Dawn McVea says member businesses complain they cannot get sufficient supplies of goods to sell, and there’s little hope of improvement anytime soon.
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The NFIB survey looks at staffing shortages, levels of sales, and more during the pandemic, which has gone on for over 18 months. Over half of businesses surveyed say the situation is worse than it was 3 months ago. McVea explains what they mean by “supply chain disruptions.”
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McVea says 86-percent of NFIB members surveyed feel their supply chain issues – and the challenges to making a profit – could continue for another five months or more.
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Over 25-percent of NFIB members report significant staffing shortages and losses of sales opportunities due to supply issues.
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Louisiana Tech will welcome one of its former head coaches to Ruston on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Sonny Dykes and the SMU Mustangs. Dykes coached La Tech from 2010 to 2012 and left for California. He got the head coaching job at SMU in 2018 and Tech head coach Skip Holtz believes this is his best team…
Tech is 1-and-1 on the season after barely getting past Southeastern Louisiana. The Mustangs are 2-and-0 and they are a 13 point favorite. Holtz wants to see his team play with a chip on its shoulder…
SMU Quarterback Tanner Mordecai has thrown 11 touchdown passes in two games. Holtz says he’s also an excellent runner…
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The Saints will look to start the season with a 2-0 record when they take on Carolina on Sunday. The Panthers also won their opening game as they defeated the Jets 19-14. New Orleans Jameis Winston says Carolina has two excellent edge rushers in Haason Reddick and Brian Burns…
Carolina’s defense recorded six sacks in the win over the Jets. Winston is coming off a game where he threw five touchdown passes. The New Orleans Q-B says everyone played well…