Leaders from the 101st Airborne Division and U.S. Army Fort Campbell have received their first round of the COVID-19 vaccine as Blanchfield Army Community Hospital moves into the next phase of the rollout.
According to a news release, Major General Brian Winski received his vaccine Friday and says, “I wanted to be one of the first just to alleviate any apprehension that there may be about the vaccine. I think it is important to protect ourselves and protect those that we’re in contact with. I trust the science. I trust the leadership that developed this vaccine. I think we know more about the long-term impacts of this vaccine right now, than we do with the long-term impacts of actually contracting COVID, whether its respiratory issues, heart issues, cognitive issues, etcetera. So I trust our medical professionals.”
Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory for service members. The COVID-19 vaccine is currently limited in availability so the hospital is following a phased-in vaccination plan developed by the Department of Defense with guidance from the CDC.
The next vaccines will be given to personnel critical to national capabilities, those scheduled to deploy outside the continental U.S. within three months, and other critical and essential personnel on installations.