Happy news on Monday, February 8th as America’s oldest WWII Veteran, 111-year-old Lawrence Brooks, marked a major milestone at the Veterans Medical Center in New Orleans when he received the hospital’s 20,000th Covid-19 vaccine. This is the second major milestone that Brooks shared with his VA health care team in recent months. In September, Brooks celebrated his 111th birthday with New Orleans VA staff in a physically distanced outdoor reception.
Medical Center Director Fernando Rivera greeted Brooks when he arrived for his vaccination. The whole process moved quickly, reflecting the medical center staff’s experience with administering hundreds of shots per day for the last several weeks.
“Since we began on December 14, we’ve given the vaccine to thousands of our nation’s heroes,” said Rivera. “It’s a great feeling to provide them with protection from COVID, and in Mr. Brooks’ case it was extra special to see him get vaccinated.”
After receiving the injection, Brooks was overjoyed, exclaiming, “I finally got it!” After returning in three weeks for his second dose, he will have the full protection of the vaccine.