Marina VA Clinic: We will break down hurdles in the way of vaccinating local veterans

MARINA, Calif. (KION) Veterans-Affairs staff in Marina are currently working on plans to administer COVID-19 vaccines to Central Coast military veterans.

As it stands, veterans receiving care through the Major General William H. Gourley VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic in Marina can set up an appointment through the Marina clinic, but have to travel to Palo Alto, Menlo Park or Livermoore locations in order to actually receive the vaccine.

At this time the Marina clinic is not able to store the vaccine, nor does it have the ability to meet the requirements for safe transportation of the vaccine from the Bay Area to Marina.

The VA Palo Alto Health Care System currently offering vaccinations says that as of last week, they vaccinated more than 10,000 people, about half of which were military veterans receiving care through their system.

These health care sites are helping with high risk veterans and those who are 70 years or older.

Jason Cameron with the Military & Veterans Affairs Office says getting veterans signed up is not as much of an issue as it is actually transporting veterans to Bay Area healthcare centers to actually get the vaccine.

He says much of this is due to some vaccine-eligible veterans have travel limitations.

With that said, the Marina VA Clinic is still attempting to transport those who need it by offering shuttle service through Monterey-Salinas Transit, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, a van ride program through the Veterans Transition Center and Disabled Veterans America.

Another issue the VA is facing is that in order to vaccinate people, they have to first prove that the doses they are getting are not going to waste.

Regardless, Cameron says they're going to do what they can to help local veterans.

"Whatever the hurdles are we will break them down," says Cameron. "We'll make whatever needs to happen, happen."

Cameron says veterans not enrolled through the Marina clinic or who do not receive care from the VA can still contact the office by calling 831-647-7613 for information on how they can get help to be vaccinated.

Veterans can also visit www.mvao.org to check on their eligiblity.