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95-year-old Bay Pines veteran receives COVID vaccine 'so he can return to church'

The first Bay Pines veterans received the vaccinations
William German
Vnny James Sr.
Posted at 3:22 PM, Dec 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-22 20:21:02-05

BAY PINES, Fla- — The Bay Pines VA vaccinated their first Veteran patient Tuesday, December 22, after news of additional Pfizer vaccine shipments to VA facilities.

Navy Veteran William German, 95, was among the first VA patients to receive the vaccine. German says he wanted to take the vaccine so he can "return to church." Six other Veteran CLC residents also received their vaccine.

“Bay Pines VA Healthcare System team is eager to continue vaccinating our healthcare personnel and our Veterans living in our Community Living Center” said Paul Russo, Director and CEO of the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System. “As vaccine supplies increase, we will be offering COVID-19 vaccination to all Veterans and employees who want to be vaccinated.”

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System was one of fifteen additional VA facilities that received an allocation of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine the week of December 21.

Bay Pines VA Healthcare System is also 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 the need for the vaccine according to CDC’s 1A prioritization and capacity to store the vaccine.

Even after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, employees and Veterans are asked to continue wearing face coverings, practicing physical distancing, and washing hands often.

As vaccines become available for more groups of Veterans, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System staff members 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 [va.gov], which launched on December 11, 2020, and sign up to receive regular updates on the vaccine on the VA’s Stay Informed [va.gov] page.