Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 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
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×