MONTEREY – Proposed legislation co-sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, would open up eligibility for inoculation to all veterans regardless of their status in health care with the Veterans Administration.
“Currently, the (Veterans Administration) only has the authority to administer COVID vaccines to those enrolled in its health care system, leaving out millions of veterans who are ineligible to enroll for reasons related to income or non-compensable service injuries,” said Panetta. “Based on my work with Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman (Rep. Mark) Takano, the VA Vaccine Act would give local VA leaders the flexibility to use every available vaccine dose.
“This bill is just part of my efforts to ensure that that Central Coast veterans have access to the COVID vaccine.”
The Major General William H. Gourley VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic in Marina has now held three COVID-19 vaccination clinics for Central Coast veterans covered by the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, inoculating 1,400.
But the by-appointment clinics are only for those veterans who are already enrolled in the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.
“We’re talking about 14,000 (Monterey County) veterans that right now are not enrolled and are not eligible for the vaccination,” said Monterey County Military and Veterans Affairs spokesman Jack Murphy.
The number of veterans in Monterey County was updated last week, said Murphy, and shows that there are 20,000 veterans in the county, but only 6,000 are connected to the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. That means only 30% of veterans in Monterey County are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination through the VA Palo Alto which is over the Gourley Clinic in Marina.
On Friday Murphy announced that another 400 Moderna vaccinations would be available at the Gourley Clinic in Marina. As with the other clinics, it is not a walk-in clinic but requires an appointment for those veterans 55 years old and older already enrolled in the VA Palo Alto Health Care System.
H.R. 1276, introduced last week, authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish COVID-19 vaccines to certain individuals, and for other purposes.
According to Panetta’s office, the bill would reduce demand for local and state facilities, speeding up community vaccination in general.
By giving veterans not enrolled with VA health care programs access to the vaccine from federal supplies, it frees up more vaccine to the general population or those who are not able to get vaccinated through federally-supplied clinics.
Currently, there are programs such as the Federal Pharmacy Program where locations of CVS Pharmacies in Salinas and Monterey, as well as Rite-Aid and Walgreens locations, offer vaccination to those eligible as supplies come in, or the Grower-Shipper Association and Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas farmworker clinics using federally-supplied vaccine.
Federally-supplied COVID-19 vaccine does not count against the state allotment to Monterey County.
Since the legislation authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish vaccine to more people, it would have an impact across many more communities across the United States.
“It would help accelerate vaccine supply, reducing the risk of potentially wasted vaccines in VA facilities, and vets who would otherwise be eligible for care, but have not enrolled in VA health care, could receive the vaccine plus veterans currently ineligible for care would receive an additional option for receiving a shot,” said Sarah Cronin, a spokeswoman for Panetta.
Cronin reported the bill already has very strong bipartisan support – currently, there are 23 Democratic cosponsors and 17 Republican cosponsors – so now it’s just a matter of it being scheduled for a vote on the House floor.
“The sponsoring member, Congressman Takano, and his office still appear to be seeking out co-sponsors for the legislation to build even greater support,” said Cronin. “Vote scheduling is up to the discretion of congressional leadership.”
Murphy said it would be a significant and profound piece of legislation if it passes as it would be a nationwide effort. He sees it as a “common-sense” bill with strong bipartisan support and hopes it is soon written into law.
The timing is great since the VA has started to accept the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, adding another tool the VA can bring to veterans, said Murphy.
Currently, three vaccines have been approved for Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. Pfizer is a two-dose regime that requires special handling and storage, Moderna likewise is a two-dose vaccine that can be kept in standard pharmacy freezers, and the Johnson & Johnson serum is one-dose and can be stored in a standard pharmacy refrigerator.
Murphy said the clinics under the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, such as the Gourley Clinic in Marina, will most likely continue to receive the Moderna vaccine, with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following suit.
“VA Palo Alto continues to provide Pfizer vaccination at its main facilities – Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Livermore – and expects to begin providing Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccinations in the next two weeks,” said Murphy.
Murphy said that the VA Palo Alto is also offering the vaccine to veterans who identify as essential workers as defined by the CDC. Veterans who are essential workers should contact their VA Primary Medical Provider to be referred for scheduling.
Call the VA Palo Alto at 650-496-2535 to register for the vaccination. Veterans not connected to the VA or who want to discuss additional benefits should call the Monterey County Military and Veterans Affairs office at 831-647-7613 or visit www.mvao.org.
For more information on general public vaccination visit https://bit.ly/3bk6IwI