Vaccination efforts on Fort Campbell, 101st rank high among DoD

Photo By Maria Christina Yager | U.S. Army Pharmacist Maj. Mark Olson draws a dose of COVID-19 vaccine for use in Blanchfield Army Community Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic earlier this year. The hospital operates the vaccination site on Fort Campbell, Kentucky, which was recognized June 28 for its high vaccination rate among active-duty service members in the Department of Defense. U.S. Army photo by Maria Yager.  

FORT CAMPBELL, KY, UNITED STATES

07.02.2021

Story by Maria Christina Yager 

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – The director of the Defense Health Agency provided a snapshot of COVID-19 vaccination rates across the services and recognized Soldiers on Fort Campbell for its high vaccination rate, during his recent visit here.

“Across the Department of Defense about 68 percent have gotten at least one vaccination across the active-duty Force, and we’re at about 56 percent who are fully vaccinated. On this installation, and specifically this [101st Airborne] Division is much higher than that,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, Defense Health Agency, director from the agency responsible to ensure the nation’s 1.7 million active duty and Reserve service members are healthy so they can complete their national security missions.

Place said about 78 percent of division Soldiers on Fort Campbell had at least one vaccination and 74 percent were fully vaccinated.

“So we’re doing well across the Department of Defense, but leaders here in the greater Fort Campbell area really took it on and have done an outstanding job,” he said.

Blanchfield Army Community Hospital is responsible for the vaccine mission on Fort Campbell and has administered about 56,000 doses to its TRICARE-eligible population and the civilian workforce on the installation who chose to receive the vaccine.

This is especially important as DHA monitors the new Delta variant. The agency reports that the Delta variant has spread throughout the world and is now a variant of concern in the U.S. where it is rapidly expanding, especially in areas where vaccination rates are low.

Current data show the new variant is more transmissible, more severe and causes a higher rate of hospitalization and death than any other strain. However, vaccination may help reduce infection against the new variant. DHA officials said existing vaccines currently available to everyone over age 12 have proven to be highly effective.

COVID-19 vaccines are available to service members and other TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries, like spouses, retirees and adolescents age 12 and older.

On Fort Campbell and surrounding communities, TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries may schedule an appointment to get vaccinated at the Blanchfield Army Community Hospital website,
https://blanchfield.tricare.mil

TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries outside the local area may find a vaccination site convenient for them by visiting https://tricare.mil/covid/vaccine.

• Date Taken: 07.02.2021
• Date Posted: 07.02.2021 12:05
• Story ID: 400310
• Location: FORT CAMPBELL, KY, US