Milwaukee VA Med Center vaccinates staff

Dr. Jane Kim of the federal Department of Veterans Affairs discusses the department’s national plan to vaccine staff and veterans in long-term care facilities.

Milwaukee's VA Medical Center receivednearly 3000 doses of the Cove in 19vaccine.

They're vaccinating frontlinehealthcare workers and staff first,then veterans living in their long termcare facility.

So we're talking aboutthe Va's Covic immunization plans withDr Jane Kim, the chief consultant forpreventative medicine at the Departmentof Veterans Affairs.

And we appreciateyou being with us today, and I know youknow how important the VA is here inWisconsin.

We have three VA medicalcenters.

Milwaukee, Madison and Toma.Could you go ahead and tell us theprogress you've made so far in terms ofvaccinating those health care workers?Yeah, thank you for having me.

So thishas been a great weekend, v.

A.

Westarted vaccinating on Monday with ourfirst supply vaccine, and the veryfirst person to receive vaccine in ourVA health care system was a World wartwo female veteran in Massachusetts.And that was just a thrilling moment.So since that first vaccine was given,we have continued to roll outvaccination to our health care workerswho are on the front lines, a swell asour veterans who are living in our longterm care facilities, trying to ensurethat those who are at highest risk areoffered the vaccine first.

And why doyou want veterans so high on thepriority list?

Eso veterans who are athigh risk for Covic are are really theones who we've seen throughout thepandemic have a risk for severe diseaseand even being in the hospital and fromCOVITZ.

So veterans who fall in thosecategories are really those ones whoare older, who have the medicalconditions that put them at high risk.Um, you know, I think there are otherveterans who will be offered vaccine aswe have more supply eso, youngerveterans and those who are healthier.Um, should be receiving vaccinesometime next year.

And last questionfor you.

I know that you alreadyreceived the vaccine and that you'refeeling fine, which is some good news.But we're also hearing that somefacilities air, getting extra dosesthey didn't realize they'd have of thevaccine.

So what is your plan at the VA.

Yes, So this week across the country,people who are giving the vaccine foundthat as they were drawing up doses thatthey found that they had one or eventwo extra doses in each file.

So theFDA said yesterday, if that happens andyou find an extra dose or two that it'sokay to give that we decided in via toego ahead and let our staff administerthose vaccines.

We will make sure totrack that so that when it comes timefor the second dose of vaccines, wemake sure that we have enough and thatwe record that in our system.

So we aregetting some extra, I guess.

All right,Dr. Kim, Thank you for your time.

Weappreciate it.

Good luck.Thank you so much.

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