During the final hour of their Walk-In COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics on Thursday, March 25, 2021, VA Hudson Valley vaccinated their 10,000th Veteran. Just over three months earlier, on December 21, 2020, they received their first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines and immediately started administering the doses to their most vulnerable Veterans.
James Wilkie, a U.S. Navy Veteran, was surprised and happy to learn that he would be the 10,000th Veteran vaccinated by VA Hudson Valley. Mr. Wilkie lives minutes away from their Castle Point Campus in Wappinger Falls, NY, and knew he could stop in without an appointment. He was met with applause from VA staff, who had been quietly waiting with balloons and a large sign to celebrate the moment.
VA Hudson Valley has vaccinated Veterans at their Castle Point Campus in Wappingers Falls, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Campus in Montrose, and seven Community Clinics in Carmel, Goshen, Monticello, New City, Pine Plains, Port Jervis, and Poughkeepsie. Veterans can call to make an appointment or visit the Walk-In Clinics at the main campuses Monday through Friday from 8:30 am until 2:30 pm.
“Throughout the pandemic, our staff’s focus on protecting the women and men who sacrificed to protect us has been unshakable,” said Dawn Schaal, VA Hudson Valley Medical Center Director. “Since the day we received our first vaccines and administered them to Veterans living in our Community Living Centers, they have continued to fine-tune our processes to meet the needs of our Veterans and provide the vaccine to as many Veterans as possible. I’m proud to work alongside a group of people who are devoted to caring for our nation’s heroes and our role in ending the pandemic.”
