CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Military veterans, their spouses, and caregivers are being encouraged to register for a Saturday COVID-19 vaccination event in Waukegan.
"We’re trying to get [COVID vaccinations] into the arms of the willing," said Dr. Robert Buckley, director of the Capt. James Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago.
Dr. Buckley said 30,000 COVID shots have been given to veterans and active duty military so far at the center, and that this Saturday, the Center will be administering about 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine at Cristo Rey College Prep in Waukegan.
The clinic is by appointment only. No walk-ins will be accepted.
"It doesn’t have to just be veterans that are enrolled for care here at Lovell in North Chicago. It could be any veteran that has interest in getting the Moderna vaccine. It could be any of their spouses. It could be any of their caregivers," Dr. Buckley said.
Dr. Buckley said some veterans are reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but he said the benefits outweigh possible risks.
"The testimony that I get from patients is like it’s a sense of liberation when you get that vaccine. There’s a certain sense that they’re reached a turning point in this year-long journey," he said.
To register, currently enrolled Lovell FHCC patients should call the scheduling line at 224-610-3899 or sign-up online at va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/
Veterans who are not currently patients at the Lovell Center should first enroll at the Center in person, by phone at 224-610-3747 or on the website va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/. If you're only using phone to enroll at the Center, you must still then call the vaccination event registration number at 224-610-3899.
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