LEE COUNTY, Fla. Veterans have been getting COVID-19 vaccinations in Southwest Florida since the end of December. The VA has called for appointments on a limited basis.
The Lee County VA Healthcare Center held a mass vaccination for veterans for the first time on Saturday. NBC2 was one of the first in the country to see the VA offer mass vaccinations to those who have served our country.
From the moment veterans get out of their car, to the moment they get the chance, they said it’s like a clockwork.
“It was really great,” said Marine veteran John Smail. “They were really smooth, very organized.”
The VA called 1,300 veterans 75 years and older to schedule appointments. Veterans are prioritized based on their health conditions.
After arriving there and checking in, they were sent to a color code pod. In the pod, nurses and doctors were ready to use syringes, pre-filled with the Moderna vaccine to save time.
Everyone should wait 15 minutes to make sure they do not experience any side effects after receiving the vaccination.
“This is the best thing I’ve ever seen,” said Robin Szymanski of Fort Myers.
Many of the veterans and their families were ecstatic to get the first layer of protection against the virus that claimed more than 2 million people around the world. More importantly, they are very happy that it is going smoothly.
“If it had happened across the country, we would all have been vaccinated within a month,” Smail said.
The process was so easy that they wanted the VA to help public vaccination sites.
“I want them to come to Charlotte County and organize everything there,” Szymanski said. “I’ll drink coffee and donuts.”
It did not happen overnight. Dozens of VA staff members worked hours in advance.
“They looked at flow, they looked at planning,” explained Jonathan Benoit, co-director of the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System. “We provided more resources today than we needed, which is always a good thing if you have something like that.”
The challenge now: in four weeks they have to do it again.
“We will be bringing back all 1000+ veterans we vaccinate today for four weeks from today for the second part of the vaccine,” Benoit said.
The VA plans to do these mass vaccination clinics as often as possible, but it all depends on the vaccine supply.
If you are a veteran and have not received a call to be vaccinated, VA officials urge you to be patient.