Dear Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) Members, Families of Members, and Friends:

As you all know, our country is still dealing with COVID-19. Americans know firsthand the tragedies of this pandemic with nearly 600,000 deaths to date. That is more deaths than those from World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and 9/11 combined.  With only 64 percent of adults having received at least one shot, our country still has considerable work ahead in order to ensure that all are protected. 

I’m sending this message to encourage you to join me in the mission of getting fully vaccinated.  I know there is hesitation by many in making that first step, but I will tell you the U.S. vaccination program is safe and has already saved tens of thousands of lives. More than 300 million doses have been given out and that number continues to grow each day, allowing Americans to get back to living their lives as they were prior to the pandemic. 

Today, with assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), our BVA members can obtain the vaccine where they live. VA has even offered us access to their mobile vaccination clinics when necessary. If your regional group is interested in VA assistance in this regard, please contact Stuart Nelson at 202-371-8882.

The COVID-19 vaccine can keep you from getting and or spreading the virus and can help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you were to get COVID-19.

Four Easy Ways to get the vaccine:

  1. Just walk into a VA Medical Facility. Even if you are not a VA customer. No appointment needed. Find one near you.
  2. Sign up to have your local VA contact you or send your care team a secure message on MyHealtheVet.
  3. Call 1-800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411) and press 8 for more information—or press 0 to speak to an agent.
  4. Search for other vaccine options at vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233.

We all took an oath to support and defend the United States of America. Let’s do our part as Patriots of this amazing country to support and defend, once again, those we love.

Dr. Thomas Zampieri
National President
Blinded Veterans Association