SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio veterans hospital is on the preliminary list of VA health care facilities that will receive and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine once it is federally approved by federal officials.
Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital is one of 37 long-term care units from across the country slated to get the vaccine during the initial rollout.
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced its preliminary plan for the vaccine on Thursday.
The VA said it is working with the Centers and Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Operation Warp Speed to get all staff and veterans vaccinated.
Health care workers will be the first to receive vaccinations because they are at high risk for contracting and spreading COVID-19 to other staff members and patients.
Veterans in VA’s long-term care facilities will be the first veteran patient group to be vaccinated, the department announced.
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.
“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.”
The initial 37 sites, including the Audie L. Murphy Hospital, will monitor patients and staff for side effects. They will also keep patient records and information in its vaccine monitoring and tracking system.
It is the same system used by the VA to monitor all possible vaccine reactions. All vaccine data will be reported to the CDC.
Along with Audie L. Murphy Hospital, two other Texas veterans health care facilities are part of the initial sites that will receive and distribute the vaccine.
One is the Dallas VA Medical Center and the other is the Michael E. DeBakey VA Health Care System in Houston. You can see the full list here.
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