WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) on Jan. 21 announced the Staten Island VA Clinic will begin offering COVID-19 immunizations for local veterans:

"One of my priorities has been to open vaccine administration sites to accelerate vaccine distribution," said Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. "By offering immunizations at the Staten Island clinic, we're saving veterans a trip to the Brooklyn VA Medical Center and the toll that goes with it. I will continue working with my partners at every level of government to improve access to the vaccine for those who want it."

"I encourage veterans who are eligible and desire the vaccine to schedule an immunization appointment as soon as possible. The faster our community can be immunized, the faster we can reopen our economy, get residents back to work and reduce the number of fatalities."

Vaccine doses will be available at the Staten Island VA Medical Clinic on South Avenue, starting January 26, 2021, with appointments available every week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for high-risk veterans and veterans age 65 and older, as defined by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Veterans must schedule appointments through centralized scheduling by calling 1-877-877-9267. When scheduling first dose appointments, veterans will also be scheduled to receive their second dose three weeks later.

"Staten Island has always been put at the bottom of the list when it comes to service from the city," said Gene DiGiacomo, VVA Chapter 421 President. "That being said, we now have Congresswoman Malliotakis in Washington, and one of the first things she does is answer the call from veterans here on Staten Island. We appreciate her dedication to ensuring Staten Island veterans have access to the vaccine."

Currently, the Brooklyn VAMC is vaccinating high-risk veterans and veterans age 65 and older. Local veterans who are below the age of 65 can call 1-877-877-9267 to schedule appointments as the demand to vaccinate veterans 65 and older decreases and the supply of vaccine doses increases. The clinic is open seven days a week from 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.

"This announcement is welcome news," said Lee Covino, Treasurer of the United Staten Island Veterans Organization. "Many Staten Island veterans – many of whom are frail and have difficulty traveling – have to take public transportation to the Brooklyn Medical Center in frigid temperatures. I hope veterans take advantage of this more convenient opportunity."