Note: This article is in no way meant to advise or comment on the medical nature on the COVID-19 vaccine. For more information please contact your medical provider, visit VA.gov vaccine info, or read about the vaccine here.
Update for MPVA Members: ALL of our members are now eligible for the vaccine. MPVA President, Michael Harris, has received confirmation from Michigan’s Department of Veterans Affairs.
Ever since the COVID-19 vaccine became a reality in the United States, reports about who is eligible and where to be inoculated at any given time have fluctuated, at best. The Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America (MPVA) serves to advocate and inform its members throughout Michigan on matters relating to their quality of life, and it is with that mission in mind that we write this blog. We strive to gather up-to-date information about the vaccine and its availability to veterans in Michigan with particular attention to our membership with spinal-cord injury or disease.
Continued Uncertainty
Throughout Michigan the COVID-19 vaccine availability can vary greatly. Indeed, some areas still remain in the first eligibility group because of differences in supply and demand. As with everything vaccine-related, questions can be answered by your health provider or by visiting the state’s COVID-19 response website at http://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. However, we tried our best to help sum up some information for you.
For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) COVID-19 vaccine rollout. To stay informed, we follow VAntage Point’s blog and found this latest post particularly helpful.
Yet, when visiting the VA.gov website and looking for any information coronavirus or vaccine related, the following message seems to appear in one way or another:
“Who can now get a COVID-19 vaccine at VA?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first 2 COVID-19 vaccines. We currently have a limited amount of these vaccines. We’ve worked with the CDC and other federal partners to develop a phased plan. Our goal is to do the most good for the most people during this time.”
While that information in not completely forthcoming, the general take away from most information available through the department is that:
● Currently, most VA’s are reporting that those 75 years of age or older—or their caregivers, if they have them—are the only ones outside of other high-risk groups (i.e. healthcare workers, first responders, those in nursing homes) that are eligible (this includes those with spinal cord injury or disease, as well as all others with disabilities.). However, each VA facility will determine when veterans will receive their vaccine.
● In many areas, dissemination of the vaccine may depend on that community’s individual needs and the access to administer and store the drug appropriately.
The Definition of “Risk”
The VA.gov website goes on to share that they have determined the schedule of those veterans that will be eligible for vaccination based on criteria of risk:
● of catching the disease;
● of developing serious illness if infected;
● the likelihood of spreading the disease;
● and the likelihood of infecting healthcare workers.
Veterans have been told that they will be contacted by their local VA health system when they are eligible for a vaccination. MPVA has recently discovered during our “Chapter Check-In” phone calls to our members, that approximately 10-15% of the membership that fit the age requirement of over 75 had been contacted and been able to receive their vaccination. Additionally, our membership has begun to be contacted about scheduling their vaccination in larger numbers since the week of February 8, 2021.
It is important to keep in mind that the MPVA membership is made up of varying ages and locations throughout the state of Michigan; only 21.5% of our current membership of nearly 400 veterans is over 75 years of age. We remain committed to keeping our membership safe, regularly sending out care packages with face masks, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes so that our veterans at high risk have the tools at their disposal to remain healthy until given the choice to vaccinate.
The report below from Carl Blake, Executive Director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, National Chapter shows that similar statistics exist across the country for veterans with spinal cord injury/disease. Sitting and waiting for word may not work out for many of our members who have served their country and now live with a spinal cord injury/disease. Continued advocacy is required in this case, as in any case where the stakes are high.
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