The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working at a rapid pace to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As of Feb. 2 they had administered 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to veterans and VA healthcare workers.
This milestone was achieved in a month and a half, with at least one dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine going to more than 582,000 veterans. Over 44,000 have been fully vaccinated, totaling more than 626,000 doses. Also included in the overall total is more than 401,000 doses to VA employees and 1,200 to federal partners.
“In addition to administering 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, VA has begun publishing the number of veterans who have received Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccines at each facility across its enterprise,” said Acting VA Secretary Dat Tran in a press release. “The number of doses administered to veterans at each facility will be updated daily on the VA COVID-19 National Summary website.”
The VA said making the data available publicly is another step toward being as transparent as possible during the pandemic. Vaccines are available at more than 215 sites nationally, with plans to expand to additional sites as available vaccine doses increase, hopefully by March.
VA is currently in the limited supply phase, so until the supply goes up, it cautions that there may be temporary shortages. To learn more about the current distribution plan, visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance and the VA COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Plan.
If you are a veteran who is eligible for a vaccine through the VA, they should reach out to you about the next steps. For additional information, visit the VA COVID-19 vaccines webpage, the local facility’s website, or contact your care team.
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