VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Organizes Another Clinic To Vaccinate 1,000 Veterans

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System continued its COVID-19 vaccine efforts Monday after seeing such a demand for the vaccine over the weekend at its walk-in clinic.

"I'm awfully glad they gave us this opportunity. It was really a good, good job they've done," Marine veteran Robert Momchilovich said.

Momchilovich said it was a smooth process Monday morning.

"We were separated. As we went through, everybody had their shot," he said.

He is already looking forward to his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine scheduled for February.

"Oh certainly. As long as I don't pass the disease on to someone else. That's what I'm concerned about," Momchilovich said.

The VA had people with the last names A-M get vaccinated Monday morning and N-Z can go until 4 p.m. To be eligible, people must be 75 and older, eligible and registered for VHA care and receive care at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare system or its outpatient clinics.

"Our goal is to vaccinate every veteran who wants to be vaccinated," Director of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Don Koenig said.

The VA plans on administering 1,000 doses of the vaccine Monday. They had 923 people show up to their clinic on Saturday. They saw a great demand just from their staff when they surveyed them at their Oakland location, with about 80% saying they wanted the shot.

"So we've had a great response by our staff to protect them, protect our staff, protect our veterans and to protect their families," Koenig said.

For veterans like Momchilovich, this vaccine is offering a chance to get back to a normal way of life.

"Come and get it. It's an easy affair," he said.

If you were unable to attend this clinic, the VA recommends you contact your VA primary care provider to schedule an appointment.

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• Coronavirus