Photo By Senior Airman Jennifer Gonzales | An initial shipment of COVID-19 vaccines arrive at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Dec....... read more read more
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RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines arrived here Dec. 30, and inoculations are scheduled to begin in the coming days.
Initial vaccinations will be limited to health care workers and first responders to assess the process as part of the Defense Department’s phased vaccination approach. Each phase is designed to safely protect DoD personnel from COVID-19 as quickly as possible.
“The health of our community remains our top priority,” said Brig. Gen. Josh Olson, 86th Airlift Wing commander. “This vaccine is a critical addition to current public health measures. It’s a critical step on the path to end the pandemic. We encourage all eligible personnel to receive the vaccine, when it is offered. This will both protect the community and preserve our ability to accomplish the mission.”
Ramstein is one of several overseas military treatment facilities scheduled to receive and distribute the vaccine. The shipping process involves several complicated steps and requires the doses to remain below freezing temperatures through the entire process.
“There’s a lot of logistics involved in this historic event,” said Col. (Dr.) Ryan Mihata, 86th Medical Group commander. “Due to the need for cold-storage, the vaccines arrive via ground transport and we are lucky to have the local capability to handle such a shipment.”
The vaccines will be offered initially on a voluntary basis only, and Mihata said he plans to be among the first in line to get the vaccine when inoculations begin Monday.
As the distribution is carried out, information on the timeline of subsequent phases will be provided through command channels and through installation web and social media platforms.
All DoD personnel will continue to wear appropriate face coverings, practice physical distancing, wash hands, follow restriction of movement and adhere to host nation restrictions for the safety of their communities, as a large portion of the population will need to be vaccinated before COVID-19 risks diminish.
For more information about the vaccine, visit https://www.ramstein.af.mil/COVID-19-Vaccine-Information/.
| Date Taken: | 12.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2020 13:35 |
| Story ID: | 386129 |
| Location: | RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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