{"id":63806,"date":"2020-12-09T16:41:19","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T16:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/12\/09\/va-to-start-distributing-coronavirus-vaccines-soon-but-at-limited-sites-and-in-limited-numbers\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:47:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:47:04","slug":"va-to-start-distributing-coronavirus-vaccines-soon-but-at-limited-sites-and-in-limited-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/12\/09\/va-to-start-distributing-coronavirus-vaccines-soon-but-at-limited-sites-and-in-limited-numbers\/","title":{"rendered":"VA to start distributing coronavirus vaccines soon, but at limited sites and in limited numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Veterans Affairs officials are expecting 73,000 doses of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/01\/va-reports-more-than-1000-coronavirus-deaths-among-patients-in-november\/\" target=_blank>coronavirus vaccine<\/a> to be shipped to 37 department medical sites in coming days, but plans for distribution to veterans and staff remain murky because of logistics concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Wednesday, in a Senate hearing on the department\u2019s response to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/coronavirus\/\" target=_blank>ongoing pandemic<\/a>, Veterans Health Administration\u2019s executive in charge \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/04\/17\/va-pledges-more-masks-for-medical-staff-who-were-rationing-supplies\/\" target=_blank>Dr. Richard Stone<\/a> \u2014 said that vaccine distribution and tracking will be a \u201cHerculean effort\u201d in coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis will be a long process for us to reach all 7 million veterans who we believe will want vaccination from us, as well as all 400,000 employees of the agency,\u201d he said. \u201cWe anticipate weekly distribution, and it remains to be seen how robust that weekly distribution will be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/2020\/12\/09\/vets-living-abroad-left-to-navigate-pandemic-problems-without-va-help\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"251\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Jesse-and-Liliana.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Vets living abroad left to navigate pandemic problems without VA help<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The department&#039;s Foreign Medical Program covers medical costs for veterans living outside the United States, but only for service-connected issues.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stone said the 73,000 doses \u2014 enough to handle about 36,500 individuals, since the vaccine is a two-dose regimen \u2014 is \u201cnot an adequate amount\u201d for the department, but represents a starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vaccines will be distributed from sites in every region of the country under the department\u2019s initial plans. Stone said 37 sites have already begun preparations to administer the first pending vaccine made by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which requires extremelyh cold refrigeration at temperatures of -70 degrees Celcius to remain viable. By comparison, water freezes at 0 degrees Celcius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That creates a host of logistical problems, including shipping and storage at other VA sites, Stone said. The department has ordered 36 new freezers for additional medical sites for future use, as those issues are worked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBefore we began (this hearing) I had a conversation about our ability to obtain short-runway aircraft to go into rural areas, so we could bring small amounts of vaccine into areas where there\u2019s 20, 30, 50, or 100 veterans,\u201d he told lawmakers. \u201cI believe we\u2019re going to need to have that kind of creativity and innovation in order to deliver this effectively and quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another 180 sites may be able to distribute other vaccines that do not require the extreme refrigeration, but the department does not have a timeline for when those may be made available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are going to have some difficulties reaching rural areas, but you have our commitment that we will work diligently until every veteran is delivered this vaccine,\u201d Stone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this week, VA leaders released <a href=\"https:\/\/content.govdelivery.com\/attachments\/USVHA\/2020\/12\/08\/file_attachments\/1620107\/3_VeteranFAQs_Chapter3_COVID-19VaccineAwareness_120220_Approved%20and%20Final.pdf\" target=_blank>a public information sheet<\/a> on vaccine plans, saying that they are \u201cworking with the CDC and other federal partners to develop a phased plan that will help us do the most good for the most people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials plan to offer vaccines first to \u201chigh-risk veterans and staff, based on CDC guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That will include factoring in age, race and ethnicity (VA leaders said Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities have been \u201cdisproportionately affected\u201d by the virus, existing health problems and other potential risk factors, including exposure to other at-risk individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials have not publicly released the list of sites where the initial vaccines will be delivered.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/12\/01\/va-reports-more-than-1000-coronavirus-deaths-among-patients-in-november\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20324641167810.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">VA reports more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths among patients in November<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The rise in deaths comes amid a surge in active cases among VA patients.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stone said he expects to need significantly more federal assistance to get the vaccines administered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will need more resources,\u201d he said. \u201cI do believe that there\u2019s a lot we can\u2019t see about vaccine distribution. And I think we\u2019re still probably three to four weeks ahead of the peak of what we\u2019re going to see in this escalation of (coronavirus) cases across the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Members of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee said they were open to additional funding and authorities, but also expressed concerns about the lack of public visibility on the vaccine distribution plan thus far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou guys have the largest health care system in the country,\u201d said committee ranking member Jon Tester, D-Mont. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a lot of frontline workers, there\u2019s a lot of veterans across this country. And I am concerned that the VA will be behind the curve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of Tuesday evening, VA health officials at 140 sites across the country were tracking nearly 17,000 active coronavirus cases among patients and staff. That total is an increase of more than 400 percent since Oct. 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least 5,443 VA patients and 77 VA employees have died from complications related to the virus in the last nine months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About 73,000 doses are expected to reach 37 VA sites later this 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By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>VA to start distributing coronavirus vaccines soon, but at limited sites and in limited numbers - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"About 73,000 doses are expected to reach 37 VA sites later this month.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VA to start distributing coronavirus vaccines soon, but at limited sites and in limited numbers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"About 73,000 doses are expected to reach 37 VA sites later this month.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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