Roseburg VA Health Care System Begins COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

(Roseburg VA) ROSEBURG, OREGON, (Dec 23, 2020) – Roseburg VA Health Care System will begin COVID-19 vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, Wednesday, December 23, 2020, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization for this vaccine. “Roseburg VA Health Care System is eager to offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to health care personnel and community living center residents,” said Kelly O’Brien, Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner. “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.” Roseburg VA Health Care System 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 -20◦C. 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 December 21. Even after receiving COVID-19 vaccination, employees and Veterans should continue wearing face coverings, practicing physical distancing and washing hands often. 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. Veterans can get up-to-date information on VA’s VA COVID-19 vaccine webpage, which launched on December 11, 2020, and sign up to receive regular updates on the vaccine on the VA’s Stay Informed page. For more information, please contact Acting Public Affairs Officer, Traci Palmer, at traci.palmer@va.gov or 541-440-1000 ext. 43026. First image: VA Campus 2nd Image: Dr. Thomas J. Kinane, MD, RVAHCS Urgent Care Physician, is the first health care provider to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Roseburg VA Medical Center, Dec. 23, 2020. Dr. Kinane is a 13-year Army Veteran who served two tours in Vietnam.