News Alerts | Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Louisiana AAP President Joseph A. Bocchini, Jr.,MD, FAAP Interviewed on WBRZ in Baton Rouge

On September 24, 2025, LA AAP President Joseph Bocchini, MD, FAAP was interviewed by Joe Collins from WBRZ in Baton Rouge as part of a story about the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services announcement on September 22 including unsupported claims about the safety of acetaminophen use during pregnancy.

Update on Lead and Chromium in Apple Sauce from the Louisiana Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

In the Fall of 2023, three brands of cinnamon-flavored apple sauce pouches being sold on Amazon and in Dollar Tree stores in the US were found to contain high levels of lead and chromium. Hundreds of cases of lead exposure from these products have been reported across...

AAP Issues Guidance on School Re-entry

June 26, 2020by Trisha Korioth · Staff Writer As schools and states develop plans for students to return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAP has updated interim guidance to reflect the growing understanding of the virus’ impact on children and...

Louisiana sees first presumed case of coronavirus (3/9/20)

A Jefferson Parish resident is presumed to have Louisiana’s first positive case of COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus, and is being hospitalized in Orleans Parish, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The announcement came this afternoon from...

Confirmed Cases of Mumps at LSU

CLINICAL ADVISORY ON MUMPS CASES IN LOUISIANA The Louisiana Office of Public Health (OPH) has detected mumps in several students at LSU Baton Rouge in the past few days. OPH is requesting healthcare providers in the Baton Rouge area and other schools of higher...

Louisiana Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics Polls State Residents’ Attitudes on Vaccines

Poll Indicates Overwhelming Support for Vaccinations [Baton Rouge, December, 5th] — The Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (LA AAP) recently commissioned a poll evaluating the attitudes of state residents towards vaccines. The poll of a...

Gov. Edwards Announces Resignation of Dr. Rebekah Gee

January 06, 2020 Today, Governor John Bel Edwards announced that he has accepted the resignation of Department of Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee effective January 31. Gee has taken a new job, which will be announced by her employer at a later date. Gov. Edwards...

AAP: No flu vaccine preference for 2019-’20 season

The AAP no longer will express a preference for the flu shot over nasal spray vaccine for children during the 2019-’20 flu season. The recommendation comes after the Academy reviewed current data on vaccine coverage and effectiveness and flu season...

Health Department Schedules Statewide Flu Vaccine Clinics

Clinics to be held in all regions of the state throughout October and November Baton Rouge, La. (October 10, 2018) – With flu season starting, the Louisiana Department of Health is scheduling flu vaccination days to be held throughout the state. These one-day clinics...

Availability of Influenza Vaccine for the 2018-2019 Season

DATE: September 17, 2018 TO: Vaccines for Children Providers FROM: Stacy Hall, RN MSN, Immunization Program Director Adrienne Mercadel Whitney, MPH, Vaccine Procurement & Distribution Manager MEMO The vaccine allotment for Louisiana is available in...

American Academy of Pediatrics Advises Parents to Choose the Flu Shot For 2018-2019 Flu Season

AAP finds the inactivated influenza vaccine to be more consistently effective against most strains of flu, but says the nasal vaccine may be a last resort for kids who otherwise will not be vaccinated. ITASCA (May 21, 2018) – The American Academy of Pediatrics will...

Early Vaccination and Treatment of Patients with Influenza with Antiviral Medications

This is a message from the Louisiana Department of Health Emergency Operations Center (LDH EOC) to share a CDC Resource List for Clinicians regarding early vaccination and treatment of patients with influenza with antiviral medications. Summary: Influenza activity is...

Policy Update: Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2017-2018

The AAP has updated recommendations for the routine use of seasonal influenza vaccine and antiviral medications for the prevention and treatment of influenza in children. Details appear in the policy statement, Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza...

FDA: Blood lead tests may have been inaccurate

Breaking News · May 17, 2017 www.aapnews.org FDA: Blood lead tests may have been inaccurate by Melissa Jenco · News Content Editor Some children need to have their blood lead levels rechecked due to inaccurate test results, federal health officials said Wednesday....

Gov. Edwards Announces NGA Partnership to Reduce Child Hunger in LA

BATON ROUGE — Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) chose Louisiana among only 10 states to participate in a learning lab on state strategies to reduce childhood hunger. “I am excited for my...