“We got to flip this narrative to be more inclusive about the people we need to reach." Author: Thanh Truong / Eyewitness News Published: 6:13 PM CDT July 27, 2021 Updated: 6:34 PM CDT July 27, 2021 NEW ORLEANS — As the calls for more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are growing more urgent, politics is proving to be a powerful factor in the ongoing campaign. Many surveys and statistics show vaccination rates in various parts of the U.S. are lower among Republicans than Democrats, but there are different local trends in Louisiana. When Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise, one of the most loyal defenders of former President Donald Trump, got his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, it became national news. Perhaps hoping it would convince more conservative Republicans to get their shots, the Louisiana Department of Public Health posted a picture of that moment to Instagram.