JBLM expands vaccine eligibility. Here’s which service members, dependents now qualify
If you get your health care through the Department of Defense, you might be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine through Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
TRICARE patients age 55 and older can now get the COVID-19 vaccine at Madigan thanks to a directive from JBLM’s I Corps commander Lt. Gen. Randy George.
Madigan is following the DOD’s vaccine rollout plan and is now in phase 1C, which means TRICARE patients 16 and older who are considered “high risk” can also get the vaccine, as well as health care workers, “mission essential” military personnel and DOD prisoners.
Patients at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are now eligible to get the vaccine at Madigan if they have been diagnosed with one of the following conditions:
- Cancer
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- Down Syndrome
- Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy
- Immunocompromised due to a solid organ transplant
- Obesity
- Sickle cell disease
- Type 2 diabetes
Pregnancy is also on the list of conditions that now make patients eligible to receive the vaccine.
Those who qualify for the vaccine at Madigan can go online to make an appointment or call the Madigan COVID-19 vaccine hotline: 253-968-4744. Madigan is only offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, at this time.
Madigan has vaccinated over 15,000 patients at the American Lake Conference Center on JBLM, according to Col. Luke Mease, chief of preventative medicine at Madigan.
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
