VA hospital gives first inoculations to veterans

WEST HAVEN — The Veterans Affairs medical center on Campbell Avenue began administering doses of the coronavirus vaccine to veterans Tuesday, with plans to give the shots to thousands within a month.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Alfred Montoya, director of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and hospital officials spoke with the media after two veterans over the age of 90 received the vaccine.

“America should know — our veterans believe in this vaccine, and our VA staff is stepping up and rolling up its sleeves,” said Blumenthal.

Montoya said the hospital was beginning by vaccinating veterans over the age of 90 with “several co-morbidities,” transplant patients, and all people undergoing dialysis. Approximately 23 people were scheduled to get a dose Tuesday, he said.

Comorbidities are other diseases or conditions present in a patient, often longterm or chronic ailments, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The hospital is selecting those veterans served by the hospital deemed to be the most vulnerable and contacting them to set up an appointment, Montoya said. Calling to ask for the vaccine, he said, does not speed access to it.

Dr. Chris Ruser, chief of primary care at the hospital, said the goal was to administer the first round of shots to the roughly 2,000 to 2,500 people in the initial category within a month.

The hospital has a sufficient supply of the vaccine to get that done, he said. But staffing limitations and social distancing requirements, as well as a mandatory questionnaire and 15minute waiting period for those vaccinated to check for adverse reactions, will limit the speed of the process.