Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

US Army Veteran Denied Free COVID-19 Vaccine Shot Due to His Income

US Army Veteran Denied Free COVID-19 Vaccine Shot Due to His Income

The US started mass vaccination in December, which is still lagging behind. Joe Biden's administration intends to provide 100 million doses of vaccinations in its first 100 days, by the end of April, as he described the US vaccine rollout as a "dismal failure".

A US Army veteran from Florida, 79-year-old Seymour Kagan, said he felt "disrespected" when his local Veteran Affairs (VA) clinic denied him the opportunity to receive a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine for free because his income is too high, Fox News reported Friday.

Kagan, who retired as captain of the US Army in 1969, is one of many military veterans of the state of Florida who has met obstacles while attempting to obtain vaccine inoculations from VA clinics, according to the report. Under federal law, one of the variables in deciding if they are entitled to receive their cost-free benefits is how much cash a veteran earns annually.

"I felt disrespected. It’s fine to hear words like ‘thank you for your service’ and they all say that, it’s a mantra," he told Fox News. "But when it comes to the actual practical assistance to a veteran, I’m 79 years old... I have certain respiratory limitations... I felt that if I needed the vaccine then and that’s the public policy, they should open it up to any veteran who has received an honorable discharge, regardless of their income."

The military veteran said that he applied for a free-of-charge vaccine shot in mid-January after he met with a fellow veteran who said he was inoculated by the VA. He then went to his local clinic in Sarasota, with the intention of getting one himself.

Kagan says he was told over the phone days later, after filling out paperwork, that he was not entitled to receive the vaccine in the clinic on the grounds that his annual income met the local cap of the VA. That figure reportedly starts at $43,670 for a single veteran in Sarasota County and then scales upwards depending on the number of their dependents.

"The president or someone in the VA should change the rule to reflect the pandemic and enlarge the vaccination program to any veteran," Kagan, a retired lawyer from Sarasota, said. "This would have the added benefit of increasing the distribution of the vaccine at a faster rate rather than going through the states -- it would also reduce the demand on the states of those people who are veterans who would get the shot directly through the VA clinic."

The VA said in a statement that it is "focusing efforts on the allotment of vaccines we have received for enrolled, eligible Veterans who are listed in our highest risk categories," but that it is also "working with the White House and FEMA to explore ways in which VA can assist with the Nation’s vaccination efforts, to include covering Veterans not currently enrolled for VA health care."

"Consistent with our legal authority and supply of vaccine, the VA would like to vaccinate as many Veterans as possible," the statement read.

Meanwhile, in trying to get a vaccine shot elsewhere, Kagan has reportedly been unsuccessful. And he's not the first veteran to share experiences of this sort.

Last month, according to local media, Paul Jacobs, a 91-year-old Army veteran, was also turned away by a VA clinic in West Palm Beach because of his salary.

"It’s not fair that they turned us away," he said, noting that he was one of 16 veterans who were denied vaccine eligibility. "It was just a shame that veterans were discriminated against because of their income."

Just like Jacobs, a 76-year-old US Navy Vietnam war veteran, Bob Hulsy, also was refused a free shot of the vaccine.

"Too much income, no shot," he said.

According to the outlet, an official of the West Palm Beach local VA clinic said that they know that people are "frustrated" by these denials but "this rule is set by Congress. It’s not a decision made at the local level."

The US leads the world in the number of people infected with coronavirus and the number of deaths. According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, which summarizes data from federal and local authorities across the globe, as well as the media and other open sources, over 26.7 million people have already been infected in the country, while more than 457,000 have died.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×