97 AMW Airmen receive second dose of COVID-19 vaccine

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Breanna Klemm
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

Members of the 97th Air Mobility Wing received their second round of COVID-19 vaccinations February 12, 2021, at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

The COVID-19 vaccine is currently offered under an Emergency Use Authorization by the Food and Drug Administration, making vaccinations voluntary. Even so, many healthcare workers and Airmen from the 97th Medical Group opted to receive the vaccine in order to help ensure mission readiness and community safety throughout the 97th AMW.

“I decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine to best protect my health,” said Gary Bearden, the 97th HCOS data quality manager. “Not only because I may be at an increased risk for COVID myself, but also because I work in the medical group and I want to protect others.”

The 97th MDG and Department of Defense are following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prioritization guidelines for vaccine distribution to help strengthen the ability to protect people, maintain readiness, support the national COVID-19 response, and trust in safe and effective vaccines. For this reason, healthcare workers, first responders and child care workers were offered the vaccine first.

“My hometown isn't too far away from here, and it has been hard with traveling restrictions to see my family as much as I would like to,” said Staff Sgt. Andrew Luna, a 97th Security Forces Squadron base defense operation center controller. “I volunteered to get the vaccine to hopefully help the recovery process quicker so we are able to spend more time with our families.”

For more information about the Military Health System’s plan for COVID-19 or for further questions please visit https://health.mil/About-MHS/MHS-Toolkits/COVID-19-Toolkit.