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Orlando VA opens COVID vaccinations to all veterans, spouses

Orlando Sentinel - 4/5/2021

The Orlando VA Healthcare System is opening COVID-19 vaccination appointments to anyone who served in the military, their spouses and caregivers, officials announced Monday.

“As long as we have plenty of vaccine, we are opening to anyone in those categories — and right now we have plenty of vaccine,” said Heather Frebe, public affairs officer for the agency. “We hope that will continue, but the supply can change week to week.”

Until now, the agency has limited vaccinations to veterans already receiving care through the VA. Those veterans will still take top priority, Frebe said, but the SAVE LIVES Act, signed by President Joe Biden late last month, authorized the expansion.

The new categories include living spouses, widows and widowers of veterans, family and friends who serve as caretakers and veterans who were dishonorably discharged.

“Since the start of the pandemic, the Orlando VA Healthcare System has been focused on vaccinating as many veterans as possible,” said Dr. Lisa Zacher, acting director of the Orlando VA Healthcare System.

To register, veterans, spouse and caregivers can go to va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/ to receive updates on when vaccine is available, or they can walk into any VA clinic — including those at the Orlando VA Medical Center in Lake Nona, Lake Baldwin VA Medical Center in Orlando, the Viera VA Health Care Center in Melbourne and the Daytona Beach VA outpatient clinic. For more information, see orlando.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp.

ksantich@orlandosentinel.com

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