William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital
Madison VA begins vaccine distribution to patients
Emanuel Voeltz waits with Assistant Director Abe Rabinowitz in the waiting area of the Madison VA Cancer Treatment Center to be the first Veteran Patient in Madison to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Madison, WI – 81-year-old Veteran Emanuel Voeltz of Madison received the first COVID vaccine distributed to patients today at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital (Madison VA).
A Volunteer at the hospital for the past 6 years, Voeltz is hopeful that the vaccine will give him the opportunity to assist patients again so he can continue to ‘pay it forward’. Due to safety precautions, volunteering has been restricted at the hospital since the beginning of the pandemic.
Voeltz was not concerned at all about getting the shot, stating that he had followed the news and felt it was the right thing to do both for him as an older person and as a citizen.
“I feel very honored,” said Voeltz. “I look at it as the beginning of a new life.”
The Madison VA received an initial shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine on December 23rd and began administering the shot to frontline staff.
“Vaccinating our frontline staff was a critical first step,” said John Rohrer, Director of the Madison VA. “We are excited that we can now offer this to our patients.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the COVID-19 vaccine via an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Manufactured by Moderna, the vaccine has proven to be 94% effective in clinical trials with limited side effects. This marks a crucial first step in getting COVID-19 under control.
LPN Pam Lauper administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to 81-year-old Veteran Emanuel Voeltz of Madison.
The initial supply of the vaccine is extremely limited. Per CDC guidance, VA began vaccinating health care personnel – as they are essential in continuing to care for patients throughout the pandemic – and Veteran inpatients in Community Living Centers and Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder Centers. The Madison VA is now vaccinating Veterans at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
The VA’s ultimate goal is to offer the vaccine to all Veterans and employees who want to be vaccinated.
Veterans will be contacted by the hospital to be scheduled for vaccine appointments. It is important to understand that many Veterans will not be able to get the vaccine during this initial rollout. To reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, Veterans should not come into a VA facility looking to receive a vaccine, nor to schedule a vaccine appointment. Care teams will contact Veterans when a vaccine is available, based on their personal risk factors and vaccine availability. However, Veterans can sign up to get updated information at this site: https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/.
It’s important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Even after vaccination, Veterans and employees should continue to:
- Wear a face covering
- Watch your distance (stay 6 feet apart)
- Wash hands frequently
Please continue to follow federal, state and local safety guidelines.
The VA is eager to begin administering the vaccine and asks all Veterans and VA health care personnel for their patience during this initial rollout.
Important Resources
- VA COVID-19 vaccine website: https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/
- CDC COVID-19 vaccine website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
- FDA Emergency Use Authorization: https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital is a Madison-based 131-bed facility that provides health care for about 42,000 Veterans who live in a 13,600-square mile primary service area comprising 15 counties in south central Wisconsin and four in northwestern Illinois. The hospital also operates an annex primary care clinic in Madison and community-based outpatient clinics in Baraboo, Beaver Dam and Janesville, Wis., and in Rockford and Freeport, Ill. The total Veteran population in the Madison VA Hospital’s primary service area is approximately 95,000.
For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov or www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital.
