Coatesville VA offers COVID vaccinations
Inoculations are being administered at the medical center
CALN » Coatesville VA Medical Center has begun COVID-19 vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization for this vaccine.
“Coatesville VA Medical Center is eager to offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to health care personnel and community living center residents,” said Kirk Fernitz, director of public affairs. “Receiving the vaccine is like having hope delivered. As vaccine supplies increase, our ultimate goal is to offer COVID-19 vaccination to all veterans and employees who want to be vaccinated.”
Coatesville VA Medical Center is one of 113 VA Medical Centers across the country to receive the first limited supply of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Sites were identified based on need for the vaccine according to CDC’s 1A prioritization and capacity to store the vaccine at negative 20 degrees Celsius.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was 94 percent effective in clinical trials in preventing COVID-19 disease. The vaccine is administered in two doses, 28 days apart. The side effects appear similar to those of other vaccines and are short-lived.
Thirty-seven medical centers began offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to health care personnel and Veterans Dec 14. Fifteen additional VA facilities will receive an allocation of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21.
Even after receiving COVID-19 vaccination, employees and veterans should continue wearing face coverings, practicing physical distancing and washing hands often.
Veterans in VA’s longterm care facilities are the first patient group to be vaccinated. As vaccine supplies increase, additional veterans will receive vaccinations based on factors such as age, existing health problems and other considerations that increase the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.
The VA expects more supplies to be available in short order.
“VA is well prepared and positioned to begin COVID-19 vaccinations,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Our ultimate goal is to offer it to all veterans and employees who want to be vaccinated.”
As vaccines become available for more groups of veterans, VA care teams will reach out to eligible Veterans to schedule vaccinations. There is no need to preregister or come to a facility to sign up.
The VA will report directly to the CDC data on all vaccine doses administered by VA. The department will also provide general, public updates on the number of people who receive the vaccination at these sites, similar to how VA posts COVID-19 testing figures.
Veterans can get up-todate information on VA’s VA COVID-19 vaccine webpage, which launched on Dec. 11, and sign up to receive regular updates on the vaccine on the VA’s Stay Informed page.