VA Puget Sound surpasses 82,000 vaccine doses
PRESS RELEASE
May 6, 2021
Seattle , WA — VA Puget Sound Health Care System’s goal all along has been to vaccinate its health care eligible Veterans and newly eligible Veterans, spouses, caregivers, and recipients of Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veteran Affairs (CHAMPVA) as quickly as it received the vaccines.
More than 82,000 vaccine doses later, VA Puget Sound is doing one final push to encourage individuals to get their vaccines scheduled by May 27, before it shifts from high-volume vaccine clinics to shots administered in its primary and specialty care clinics throughout Western Washington.
“The best vaccine continues to be the one you can get now,” said VA Puget Sound Acting Director Kathryn Sherrill. “Supply is no longer the issue. It is about protecting vulnerable populations as quickly as possible and returning to our first mission of providing health care to our nation’s heroes, our Veterans.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
To reinforce a call to action in a bipartisan video by Senate Committee On Veterans’ Affairs members, Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas): “Answer the call. Armor up with the COVID-19 vaccine and help protect and defend your family, your friends and our nation.”
All vaccines are by appointment only. Health care eligible and newly eligible individuals under the SAVE LIVES Act should call 206-716-5716 to schedule a vaccine.
Still not sure about the vaccine? The best source of information about vaccines continues to be the CDC. Its website is updated every day with the most recent research and recommendations. The CDC team reviews scientific information that comes from the best and most prominent medical institutions in the country.
Not sure where to go for your vaccine? VA Puget Sound is offering COVID-19 vaccine clinics at its Seattle, American Lake, Silverdale, Mount Vernon, and Chehalis care sites as well as drive-thru vaccines using its Mobile Medical Unit. Those interested in getting a vaccine can also visit https://www.vaccines.gov/ to find a COVID-19 vaccine near them within the community. Because every location handles appointments differently, this tool requires users to schedule appointments directly with the selected location. Additionally, the Washington State Department of Health website—https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/Immunization/VaccineLocations—helps locate vaccine availability across the state.
VA Puget Sound’s rigorous safety measures remain in place such as 100 percent screening of patients and visitors for signs of COVID-19 infection;100 percent use of approved face masks for everyone entering and inside any of its care sites (don’t have one, VA Puget Sound will provide one; no medical waivers); no walk-in patients outside of emergent care needs; and no routine visitors. Plus, no children under 18 allowed, with one exception: American Lake’s Child Care Center up to 12 years of age. Veterans are prohibited from leaving unaccompanied minors outside during their visit.
VA Puget Sound provides comprehensive care to more than 150,000 Veterans across the Pacific Northwest—approximately 110,000 are enrolled with a primary care team at one of its care sites. As the VA’s 5th largest research program, VA Puget Sound has research in virtually every major clinical department, including: TBI and multiple blast exposures; memory improvement and Alzheimer's Disease; PTSD and deployment health; Parkinson’s Disease; diabetes; cancer; substance abuse; lower limb prosthetics; genomics; and Health Services. Additionally, it has seven nationally recognized Centers of Excellence (in areas from limb-loss prevention and prosthetic engineering to primary care education and substance abuse treatment). For more information visit www.pugetsound.va.gov.
To learn about how many people the VA has vaccinated, visit: https://www.accesstocare.va.gov/Healthcare/COVID19NationalSummary.