Nebraska National Guard offering vaccine to eligible family members

Photo By Maj. Scott Ingalsbe | Nebraska Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew Krepel, an IT Specialist with 155th communications flight, holds his son and stands with his spouse, Alicia Krepel, as they wait 15 minutes for observation after both received their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine at Joint Force Headquarters in Lincoln. The Department of Defense vaccine schema phase 2 authorizes vaccinations on a voluntary basis for dependents of service members age 18 or older if they are enrolled in TRICARE, the U.S. military health benefits program. (Nebraska National Guard photo by Maj. Scott Ingalsbe)  

LINCOLN, NE, UNITED STATES

03.16.2021

Story by Maj. Scott Ingalsbe 

Joint Force Headquarters - Nebraska National Guard

LINCOLN, Neb. – Eligible family members of Nebraska National Guard Airmen and Soldiers received first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine on a voluntary basis March 6, 2021, at the Air National Guard base in Lincoln. Military healthcare providers from the 155th Medical Group administered the first of two doses to 26 Guardsmen and 68 family members.

The Department of Defense recently authorized vaccinations for dependents of service members age 18 or older, subject to local availability of DOD-allocated doses and enrollment in TRICARE, the U.S. military health benefits program.

"The Nebraska National Guard will continue to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the Department of Defense allocation, and we are now able to offer vaccinations to adult family members enrolled in TRICARE,” said Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska adjutant general. “While this does not include every member of our National Guard family, it expands the pool of eligible adults who can now choose to get vaccinated here in Nebraska.”

Among the first family members to voluntarily receive the vaccine was Jennifer Cruell of Bellevue.

“I travel for my work, so I fly throughout the country,” Cruell said, noting also that her work sometimes involves visiting long-term care facilities. “I think it’s just important to be protected.”

Cruell is a registered nurse working for an insurance company, but she didn’t expect to be eligible to receive a vaccine until summer. She welcomed the earlier than expected opportunity for the shot.

“I feel confident in how it’s been developed and tested, even though it’s been a quick process.”

Another Guard family member who opted to be vaccinated at the first opportunity was Michelle Farley of Lincoln.

“I normally work downtown at the Foundation for Lincoln City Libraries, but for the past year I’ve worked from home,” Farley said. She did not hesitate when she learned of the opportunity to receive the shot.

“I jumped at it,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Staff Sgt. Matthew Krepel and his wife, Alicia, received their first doses of the vaccine with their infant son close by. The Krepel family said they have greater peace of mind now that they’ve done their part to protect their older and higher-risk relatives. Their son, Logan, is only 10 months old and has never seen his grandparents without masks on. Other relatives have yet to meet him in person at all, they said.

“All my family is from California,” Alicia said, citing concerns about travel during the pandemic. “Thank God for FaceTime and things like that.”

The Krepels said they did research before making a decision, and ultimately determined that the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to the vaccination.

“The more people who get the shot, as a whole, the more it’s going to benefit everybody and hopefully expedite getting things back to normal,” Matthew said.

• Date Taken: 03.16.2021
• Date Posted: 03.16.2021 17:05
• Story ID: 391544
• Location: LINCOLN, NE, US