In a recent article written by The Wilmington Apple, news has come to light that if you are a US Veteran your COVID-19 vaccine may be easier to get than you think!
Rep. Seth Moulton is encouraging veterans, especially those over the age of 75, to apply for help benefits through VA healthcare. The federal Veterans Affairs health care system is immunizing veterans independently from the state, meaning you could get your vaccine much quicker through VA healthcare.
Massachusetts has vaccinated less than 6% of its population, and many vaccines are just sitting in freezers when they could be in people's arms. Massachusetts is lagging behind 42 states when it comes to the speed at which people are being vaccinated, meaning getting your hands on a shot in this state is tough.
Rep. Moulton is angry and fed up with the speed Massachusetts is going at. He stated "clearly it's not going fast enough", and he is hoping for an improvement. But rather than sitting back and waiting for a change, Moulton has created an outreach team that is helping Veterans enroll at the VA so they become eligible for the VA's vaccine distribution, rather than the state's.
To put it into perspective, the VA Bedford Health Care System has administered more than 4,600 vaccinations to Veterans and its employees. There is a vaccine clinic open 12-hours a day, 7 days a week at this location. More than 500 of the 4,600 have already received thier second dose as well. This shows that the VA is doing thier part in vaccinating as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
If you are a Veteran, applying for healthcare through the VA may be the solution you're looking for. Veterans can learn more about enrollment into the VA here.
To read more about the efforts being made by the VA, read this article by The Wilmington Apple now.