Montrose VA Begins Coronavirus Vaccines For Staff, Residents

MONTROSE, NY — The VA Hudson Valley Health Care System began coronavirus vaccinations with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Monday following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization.

“VA Hudson Valley is eager to offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to health care personnel and community living center residents,” said Dawn Schaal, Medical Center Director at the Veterans Administration hospital in Westchester County. “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."

As vaccines become available for more groups, VA care teams will reach out to eligible vets to schedule vaccinations. There is no need to preregister or come to a facility to sign up.

Meanwhile, get up-to-date information on the Veterans Administration’s VA COVID-19 vaccine webpage, which launched on Dec. 11, and sign up to receive regular updates on the vaccine on the VA’s Stay Informed page.

Also, even after receiving COVID-19 vaccination, employees and veterans should continue wearing face coverings, practicing physical distancing and washing hands often, VA officials said.

VA Hudson Valley is one of 113 of the Veterans Administration 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 on Dec 14. Fifteen additional VA facilities were scheduled to receive an allocation of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21.