WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rob Portman (R-OH), and colleagues urged the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address vaccine hesitancy among veterans by combating misinformation. In a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the Senators cited recent reports on veterans’ concerns about the safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines, calling on the VA to take action to stop the spread of vaccine-related misinformation in conjunction with its ongoing vaccine distribution efforts.

The Senators wrote: “A recent poll by the Blue Star Families found that almost half of veteran families surveyed do not expect to receive a vaccine, with 75 percent of those families citing concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Since the beginning of the pandemic, false information related to the coronavirus has spread rapidly. In order to save lives, we urge you to continue to address vaccine hesitancy by increasing educational efforts amongst VA recipients about vaccine misinformation.”

This letter was also signed by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bob Casey (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.

Dear Secretary McDonough:

In light of recent reports on veterans’ concerns about the safety and efficacy of the coronavirus vaccines, we write to urge the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure veterans have accurate information and to take action to stop the spread of vaccine-related misinformation.

VA medical facilities are an important resource and health care provider that veterans can trust. As a result, the distribution of vaccines through VA medical facilities is a critical component to our nation’s strategy to move past this pandemic. We appreciate the efforts the VA has taken thus far to ensure veterans have access to the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines. As of March 17, your Department has administered more than 1.8 million doses of the vaccines, and over 1.16 million veterans have been fully vaccinated.

However, we are concerned that the misinformation and disinformation surrounding the vaccines will prevent some veterans from having a plan to receive a coronavirus vaccination. A recent poll by the Blue Star Families found that almost half of veteran families surveyed do not expect to receive a vaccine, with 75 percent of those families citing concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, false information related to the coronavirus has spread rapidly. In order to save lives, we urge you to continue to address vaccine hesitancy by increasing educational efforts amongst VA recipients about vaccine misinformation. These efforts would build upon the actions the VA has already taken to warn veterans against scams soliciting money in exchange for vaccine availability. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included over $19 billion for the VA, and we encourage you to use a portion of the remaining unspent funds to counter vaccine misinformation among our veterans. It is crucial that veterans receive clear and accurate information about the vaccine and your agency can play a major role in helping them identify false information and recognize the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.