Governor John Bel Edwards calls today a historic moment as the first frontline healthcare workers in Louisiana received the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Matt Doyle has the story…

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It’s a momentous day in Louisiana as the first COVID vaccinations are administered to healthcare workers. Brooke Thorington has more.

cut 2 (31) …I’m Brooke Thorington.”  

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Governor John Bel Edwards was on-site at Ochsner’s Jefferson Parish campus this morning as the first Pfizer COVID vaccinations were administered in Louisiana.

Edwards called it a historic moment.

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The state received thousands of doses Sunday and by Wednesday will have received 39,000 doses total. Next week we’ll receive another shipment of 40,000 doses.

As Edwards spoke healthcare providers were lining up in the background receiving their shots. He called this moment the beginning of the end of the pandemic…

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Ochsner anticipates being able to vaccinate 88 percent of their COVID unit staff with this first week’s allocation. Other hospitals and healthcare providers have also begun the process of administering vaccines to frontline healthcare workers.

Frontline healthcare workers are first up to get vaccinated, followed by nursing home residents and staff once the Moderna vaccine is approved. Edwards warns…

Cut 5  (09) “…priority” 

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The first COVID-19 vaccine for the state was administered this morning at Ochsner Health in New Orleans.  Dr. Leonardo Seoane (Swani), a Pulmonary Critical Care Physician who also oversaw clinical trials of the Pfizer vaccine was the first to be inoculated on this historic day.

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According to the CDC, Blacks, American Indians, and Latinos are 2.7 times more likely to die from COVID compared to whites.

Dr. Obinna Nnedu (Oh-bee Nah-doo) an Infectious Disease Senior Physician at Ochsner was among the first physicians to receive the Pfizer vaccine, he wanted to reassure the public that might be apprehensive about the vaccine.

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Dr. Robert Hart, Chief Medical Officer at Ochsner reminded those who were vaccinated today to follow up in 21 days with the second shot to receive maximum protection which has been shown to be 95-percent effective with the booster shot.

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The general public is expected to receive vaccinations next spring.

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Louisiana’s eight Electoral College electors cast their ballots for President Donald Trump at the Capitol today.

States across the country are certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s win. With that happening, State GOP Chairman Louis Gervich looked towards the future…

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Biden is expected to receive 306 electoral votes today barring any faithless electors. The United States Supreme Court over the weekend and earlier today rejected President Trump’s legal efforts to overturn the results in certain battleground states won by Biden.

Party member Ross Little Jr. celebrated President Trump’s last four years. He noted the Trump campaign visited Louisiana in 2016 during the great flood despite it not being a battleground.

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For about four and a half minutes Little Jr. named a list of accomplishments Trump should be celebrated for starting with…

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Trump won the state this year with 58 and a half percent of the vote.

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Two LSU players were named SEC Players of the Week for their performance in the Tigers’ upset win over Florida. Freshman Max Johnson was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 239 yards and three scores. The 19-year-old says he was comfortable running the offense

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Johnson has come off the bench in several games, but this was his first start…

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Cade York was named Special Teams Player of the Week. He nailed a game-winning, school-record 57-yard field goal and also made two other field goals. York is glad he had the chance to make history

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The first Pfizer COVID vaccines are expected to be administered to frontline healthcare workers today. Matt Doyle has the story…

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Much like after nine-eleven when there was a rush to join the military, the pandemic has motivated many to enter the medical field. Brooke Thorington has more

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As cases surge across the state in Shreveport Willis-Knighton Doctor Jennifer Prime plead with residents to mask up and socially distance to stop the spread…

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Louisiana’s eight Electoral College electors will meet today at 11:30 AM at the Capitol to cast their votes for President Donald Trump.

The state GOP selected the eight electors, one from each of Louisiana’s six Congressional Districts and two at large candidates. Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta represents the 1^st District…

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Skrmetta was selected by the party as a result of being one of the state’s Trump campaign co-chairs.

Skrmetta says it will not take  long for the electors to cast their ballot and sign the paperwork needed to award President Trump the state’s eight electoral votes.

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President Trump won the state with 59-percent of the vote to President-elect Joe Biden’s 40 percent.

Skrmetta says barring any action by the US Supreme Court we should have an official accounting of who the next President will be today.

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Barring judicial intervention, or faithless electors, President-elect Joe Biden will win the Presidency with 306 electoral votes.

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The first Pfizer COVID vaccines arrived in Louisiana Sunday and the state will begin administering them to frontline healthcare workers today. Ochsner received 9,375 of the first wave of doses. Pharmacy Director Heather Maturin says the vials must be kept very cold to remain effective, so once it leaves their deep freezer…

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The state will be receiving 39,000 doses in total for this first week. Another roughly 40,000 Pfizer doses are expected to arrive next week.

Maturin says workers in COVID units will be the first to get vaccinated this week. She says this week’s allotment will have a huge impact.

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The Orleans/Jefferson campus will receive over 5,000 of the doses, with Lafayette and Shreveport getting 1,300 and 3,000 respectively.

Maturin says when these vaccines arrive on-site to be administered today they will be frozen solid at negative 94 degrees. She says personnel have had to train extensively on how to handle it.

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Medical schools are experiencing an unprecedented surge in applications across the country. The Association of Medical Colleges reports an increase of 18-percent, it’s a phenomenon known as the “Fauci Effect.”  Associate Dean for Admissions at LSU Health New Orleans, Dr. Angela McLean says Dr. Anthony Fauci’s leadership has inspired medical leaders of the future.

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The surge in applications to medical colleges is comparable to interest in the military after 9/11. McLean says it’s one of the positive effects of the pandemic, more young people motivated to help others.

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The surge in applications has increased the competition to enter medical school with only a specified number of slots for incoming classes. At LSU Health New Orleans Dr. McLean says the limit is 200, however, the Fauci effect isn’t restricted to becoming a physician.

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Dr. McLean recommends applicants for medical school demonstrate volunteer initiatives that show them helping improve the lives of others.

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Louisiana is in the midst of a third major wave of COVID cases and medical professionals are begging the public to recommit to masking and social distancing before they run out of healthcare capacity.

Shreveport based Willis Knighton Dr. Jennifer Prime is one of them. She says to date she has cared for 750 COVID patients and lost 92 of them.

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Prime says she’s having end-of-life discussions with people who you’d never think would die so young.

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She asks everyone to please get back to mitigating the spread. She says she drives home every day to see people coming out of packed restaurants and gyms…

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The Saints nine-game winning streak ended last night with a 24-21 upset loss to Philadelphia. New Orleans streak of holding rushers to under 100 yards in a game also came to an end at 55 as the Eagles had two players cross the century mark, Miles Sanders and rookie Jalen Hurts who made his first start at quarterback. Coach Sean Payton says Hurts played well…

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The Saints trailed 17-0 at halftime. New Orleans scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to get back in the game, but never took the lead. Payton blames himself for the team’s performance…

cut 17 (19) “…games today”

The loss drops the Saints record to 10-3 and they also fell out of the top spot in the NFC standings. Green Bay now holds the number one seed with three games left to play. New Orleans Quarterback Taysom Hill threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns, but he also turned it over twice…

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It’s been a disappointing season for the LSU Tigers, but the Bayou Bengals found a way to pull off a memorable 37-34 upset victory over the sixth ranked Florida Gators in the Swamp. The wins comes on the heels of a 38-point defeat to Alabama, but Coach Ed Orgeron had belief his guys would get a “W” on Saturday night…

cut 19 (19) “…got it done.”

LSU’s maligned defense forced three turnovers, Max Johnson threw three touchdowns in his first collegiate start at quarterback and Cade York made three field goals, including the game-winning 57-yard field goal that goes down as a school record. York knew his celebration before the ball split the uprights…

cut 20 (20) “….to do that.”