LEXINGTON, Ky. — Thousands of veterans across Kentucky are now protected against the coronavirus thanks to a walk-in event in Lexington over the weekend. The event drew in huge crowds when the medical center dropped the age requirement.
Some veterans told us they stood in line anywhere from two to five hours during the three-day event from Jan. 16-18.
"I would've waited longer than this if I had to," one veteran said.
Thousands of them waited their turn at the Lexington VA Medical Center for a vaccine many of them weren't eligible for in other parts of Kentucky, and across most of the country.
"We had a walk-in vaccine clinic for veterans who were 50 years or older," Cat Trombley, the VA's Public Affairs Officer said.
Three days of shots, no appointments needed. In all, veterans came from 15 different states.
"We had veterans fill a van and come from Texas, some flying from Arizona, just for this," Trombley said
On the first day, 1,600 veterans received vaccinations. Others were told to come back the next day, when the clinic closed hours early Saturday in order to confirm enough supply.
"We were able to see 4,000 veterans, that's 4,000 doses in arms in a 3-day period, which is pretty remarkable when you think about it," Trombley said.
Overwhelmed by the demand, the Lexington VA is back to appointment-only vaccinations for veterans 65 and older.
"Because we're still running a hospital," Trombley said.
She admits it wasn't the perfect process, but still calls it a big success, saying they're taking what they learned and plan to share the experience with other VA's, hoping to do it again.
Each veteran who received the vaccine at the Lexington VA will need to be back in three weeks for their booster.
In Louisville, the Robley Rex VA is averaging about 500 to 600 doses each week. The Louisville VA is receiving its vaccine shipments from Moderna, which aren't as large as the Pfizer supply in Lexington.
The VA started vaccinating veterans about three weeks ago through its drive-thru service. Director Stephen Black says the moment they get the vaccine, it's gone within two days.
"What's become abundantly clear is - veterans want it," Black said. "That's been encouraging. It's been nice to see how accepting they've been of that. We keep hearing stories of how isolated they've been for so long and this is a window of opportunity for them to get back to their normal rhythms of life."
Veterans who are 75 and older, and those who live in a congregated setting, are able to get the vaccine at the Louisville VA right now.
Staff members are contacting those eligible to schedule their shot. And if you happen to be at the medical center for an unrelated visit, there's a chance you can stay after to get a vaccine, if there are any left over that day.
Contact reporter Brooke Hasch at bhasch@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Hasch) and Facebook.
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