Veterans in Mississippi are being vaccinated for the coronavirus at a high rate. Officials at the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson say 28% of Mississippi veterans have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, surpassing the 22% vaccination rate among the state's general population. Marine Veteran Thomas Richards of Hesterville is getting his second and final dose of the vaccine.
"It's a great thing. I would drive 100 miles to get this shot. You know, I drove 80 miles. You know, this to me it's worth driving down to get the shot. I trust the VA 100%. I've been using the VA for, my god, 30 or 40 years. They do all my care."
The hospital receives vaccine supplies through a federal vaccination partnership, and this week, veterans do not need an appointment to get the shot. Dr. Susan Roberts is Chief of Staff. She says the hospital's goal is to vaccinate as many veterans in Mississippi as possible.
"And I know that we'll be recording more as people who have received their vaccine from pharmacies and state programs, but the more the better because that's the way that we stop the spread of the disease. Especially now with the variants of concern, we want to make sure that everyone's vaccinated."
Officials at the medical center say the walk-in vaccination appointments will be available all week. And they say the hospital is also working with local VA clinics to get doses to rural areas.
