Employees at the Veterans Administration-Illiana Health Care System are about to undertake a large goal of administering 2,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to veterans at various sites in central Illinois.
Zach Sage, the new Assistant Medical Director at the Danville V.A., says that the V.A. has given around 5,000 vaccines to its patients. He says that initially, eligibility was only open to veterans who were over 65 years of age, but it is now open to all veterans who are enrolled for care through the V.A. Sage says the system is ready for any veterans who might want a vaccine.
“Those who are enrolled and eligible for care with us, please reach out to us, and if we can provide you the vaccine and you want it, we want to give it to you,” he told WDAN’s Linda Bolton on Wednesday.
Dr. Stephanie Holt, a clinical psychologist with the V.A., says that many veterans might have questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. She says many of those concerns are valid points, and she says for those that do, the V.A. has a page on its website that lists answers to some common questions regarding the vaccine. The page contains information about vaccine research, effectiveness, side effects after getting vaccinated and even how the vaccines work. She says the V.A. is aiming to guide people through the decision rather than just giving them the option.
“What we want to do is really help folks work through that hesitancy or ambivalence or confusion, versus just telling people what to do, because ultimately everyone is going to make their own decision here, and so we want to guide people to make a decision they can feel good about,” she explained.
Veterans who are enrolled at the facility can call 217-554-4444 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, to speak to a call center representative. Upcoming clinics are scheduled at sites in Bloomington, Danville, Decatur, Mattoon, Peoria and Springfield.
All appointments must be scheduled, and no walk-ins are available. Veterans can also find out more information by visiting the page on the V.A.’s website.
