Push To Vaccinate All Veterans, Spouses and Caregivers Begins
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Legal Help for Veterans is a law firm helping veterans get the benefits they deserve.
Northville, MI (Law Firm Newswire) April 15, 2021 – Lawmakers and VA officials alike have begun efforts to expand current COVID-19 vaccination efforts to include all veterans, their spouses and caregivers.
Proposed legislation called the “Saves Lives Act” would allow VA medical facilities to vaccinate people who fall outside the current eligibility criteria, such as those under 65 and the spouses of veterans. As of now, only VA healthcare workers, veterans who receive VA care and are older than 75 (65 if supply allows) or with certain comorbidities, and some caregivers can be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“The idea is to get as many veterans and veteran family members fully vaccinated as soon as possible,” said James G. Fausone, lead attorney at VA disability claim law firm Legal Help for Veterans in Northville, Michigan. “Many found it very frustrating that they were able to receive their shot from the VA, but their spouse or caregiver could not, leaving them vulnerable to infection.”
Around six million veterans are actively enrolled in VA health care. The system also employs 450,000 healthcare professionals in its clinics and hospitals. To date, 2.8 million of them had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Over one million had been given both doses.
Supply is one of the biggest hindrances the department has faced with the distribution. The VA was first given only 125,000 vaccine doses per week when the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were available. Eventually, that allotment increased to 600,000 doses. Now that the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been approved for use by the FDA, more vaccines will be sent to the VA for use by veterans.
The new one-dose vaccine showed an efficacy of 66 percent against moderate to severe COVID-19 cases and greater than 85 percent efficacy in preventing severe to critical COVID-19 cases at least 28 days after vaccination.
For more information on how Legal Help for Veterans helps veterans get the VA benefits they deserve, visit https://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/.
