Vandenberg Air Force Base receives first round of COVID-19 vaccinations

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Vandenberg Air Force Base began its first round of COVID-19 vaccinations on Wednesday.

The shots were administered by the 30th Medical Group and distributed by the Department of Defense as part of their Operation Warp Speed, a national initiative to "safely and efficiently vaccinate the American public.".

“It’s a very exciting and historic day that we were able to get the COVID-19 vaccine here,” said Colonel Jessica Spitler, 30th Medical Group commander.

The Medical Group installed a five-point distribution system at the medical facility to begin their local campaign called Operation Fight Back. This means they will have five stations open for each person to come and get their vaccine.

“The Medical Group is doing a fantastic job of giving the vaccine to all of our eligible beneficiaries,” said Spitler. “I’m excited to see the end of this pandemic and this is our first step on fighting back!”

The base will continue to administer the vaccine over the next few months.

They will follow the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccine plan to implement a "phased, standardized and coordinated strategy for prioritizing, distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccines to protect our people, maintain readiness, and support the national COVID-19 response".

Their first round of vaccinations were given to medical workers and prioritized personnel.

They will expand to include more groups in following rollouts.

The Air Force Base says although the vaccine is not mandatory, it is recommended by the 30th Medical Group to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“I did have reservations,” said A1C Moore about getting the vaccine. “After reading the Pfizer study and doing a little research, I decided that the benefits outweigh any risks. I decided to go ahead and get it.”

For more information about the Department of Defense COVID-19 vaccine plan, click here.