The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on November 17th that it will be ready to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine once it has arrived and has been authorized.
They will work directly with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies to ensure prompt delivery and development of a distribution plan for the COVID-19 Vaccine.
The press release lines out that the plan will be entirely based on historical and scientific evidence, meaning they will take into account past pandemic vaccine plans and gather input from various scientists within and out of the VA.
Va Secretary Robert Wilkie said, “In October, the staff at VA medical facilities conducted important planning exercises in preparation for the vaccine…these exercises help us to address vaccine distribution, allocation, safety monitoring, and supply tracking.”
This news comes as two pharmaceutical companies, Moderna and Pfizer, have shown promising signs of effective vaccinations. While neither has been approved by the FDA for mass distribution, both vaccines are showing incredibly impressive signs that we are on the track to getting a vaccine ready for the public.
The VA’s lined-out plan will consist of two phases: a limited-supply phase and a general supply phase. These will be available to veterans who wish to be vaccinated.