Photo By Senior Airman Samuel Colvin | U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Alina Shayler, a 673d Operational Medical Readiness...... read more read more
Subscribe
Personnel at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, from junior enlisted Airmen to generals, continue to receive Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine after the initial shipment arrived Dec. 31, 2020.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Krumm, the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, Alaskan Command and Eleventh Air Force commander, received the first of a two-dose series of the vaccine at JBER, demonstrating trust in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
“I am extremely confident in the vaccine,” Krumm said a few minutes after getting inoculated. “It’s gone through the clinical trials and we've seen the results of 95 percent efficacy, which means 95 percent of the people who get it are protected. We've done the right thing in moving forward and I am very confident this is going to help us get past this pandemic.”
At this time, like many other locations, JBER’s supply of the vaccine is limited and will be administered to prioritized personnel. This is in line with the Department of Defense’s phased approach to prioritize the administration of the vaccine. As production and distribution continues, DoD beneficiaries will be notified when the voluntary vaccine is available to them.
“Currently, the vaccine is voluntary,” Krumm said. “You don't have to get it if you don't want to and there are no repercussions whatsoever for choosing to not get the vaccine right now. But I think it’s shown to be safe and effective and it will ensure we continue to be able to execute our homeland defense mission as we have throughout this pandemic.”
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Natasha Garcia, an Eleventh Air Force executive communications technician, who also received the vaccine, said, “I want to do my part to ensure we continue to be ready and prepare to operate during this pandemic. Although it's not mandatory, I decided to get the vaccine when it was offered to me because I want to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves, our families, our communities and our service members.”
The JBER medical team scheduled Krumm and Garcia to receive the second dose of the vaccine in the coming weeks to complete the two-dose series.
“The medical team here on JBER has been preparing for months for the arrival of this vaccine,” Krumm said. “They are knocking it out of the park and I am so proud of each and every one of them. They are being professional, they are doing it by the book, and they are going to help us get this pandemic out of here.”
Krumm emphasized that if a person initially chooses not to receive the vaccine when it’s offered, it will still be available to them at a later time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine is an important step in substantially reducing the public health risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic. After getting vaccinated, wearing a mask and physical distancing is still required until the CDC determines the pandemic risk is diminished.
| Date Taken: | 01.05.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.06.2021 22:25 |
| Story ID: | 386513 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 159 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, COVID-19 vaccinations continue at JBER, by SrA Samuel Colvin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT