LYNN — Any Massachusetts veteran, aged 50 and older and enrolled in the VA Healthcare, is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic that will be open in Lynn this Saturday.
Lynn was one of four Massachusetts communities selected to run a veterans COVID-19 vaccination clinic, which will be among the first clinics to offer the vaccine to veterans as young as 50 years old.
Eligible veterans will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on a first-come, first-served basis, at Breed Middle School, 90 O’Callaghan Way, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone seeking the vaccine is encouraged to make an appointment beforehand.
The federally-funded program is being offered through the Department of Veterans Services in partnership with the Lynn-Swampscott Veterans Services office, which is providing logistical support, according to Michael Sweeney, the Lynn-Swampscott veterans services director.
“We welcome the VA to our community and encourage veterans to take this opportunity to receive the vaccination,” said Sweeney, who noted the challenges veterans have been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the isolation of being separated from their loved ones.
“By offering direct and immediate access to the vaccine, we hope this will give a more positive outlook for 2021 for so many who have served our nation,” he said.
The aim is to get hundreds of veterans vaccinated at the Lynn clinic this Saturday, said Sweeney, explaining that it is the city’s hope to be able to offer a second clinic, tentatively scheduled for March 13, if demand is high enough the first time.
The city has been working with the VA Bedford Healthcare System, which only recently started going into communities to offer the vaccine to veterans. Before the program expanded, Bedford had only been offering the vaccine to veterans through the healthcare system’s main hospitals, Sweeney said.
“A lot of people have a hard time getting (all) the way to Bedford or Boston to get the vaccine so having it in the community is just a godsend,” said Sweeney. “So many people coming in are going to have conditions that put them at risk (for severe COVID-19 illness). We’re really lucky in this region because Bedford has been at the forefront of this and moving it fast.”
Face masks will be required and physical distancing will be enforced at the Lynn clinic. All veterans are encouraged to enroll in the VA Healthcare System. Veterans who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and separated under any condition other than dishonorable, may qualify for VA healthcare benefits.
Eligibility specialists will be on hand during the event to assist veterans with completing an application for healthcare benefits. Veterans who are not enrolled or do not currently receive care at the VA can reach out to the Lynn-Swampscott Department of Veterans Services or visit the VA’s website at https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/ for more information.
Enrolled veterans may also call the COVID-19 vaccination line at 781-687-4000 to make their appointment.
“We are glad to offer eligible veterans the COVID-19 vaccine through a partnership with the Bedford VA, Lynn Veterans Services office, and the Lynn Public Health Department,” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “Lynn is one of four communities in the state to have been selected to host a local vaccine clinic like this, and I would encourage all those who are eligible to be vaccinated and take advantage of this opportunity.”
