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VETERANS AFFAIRS

Information from VA: COVID-19 Vaccines

Courtesy of https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/

We’re working closely with the Centers for Disease How we’ll contact you when we have a
Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal partners
to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Veterans and VA health COVID-19 vaccine for you
care personnel. We know you have a lot of questions, and Different VA health facilities are at different phases of our
information is changing quickly. Please check back often plan. Your local facility will contact you when your risk
for updates. We’ll continue to update this page as we have group is eligible for a vaccine. Designated caregivers are eli-
new information to offer. gible for a vaccine when the Veteran they care for is eligible.

Stay informed about getting a COVID- Your facility may invite you to a large vaccination event
19 vaccine (like a drive-thru clinic). Or they may ask you to sched-
ule a vaccine appointment. You may receive an invite by
Sign up for an easy way to stay informed about getting a phone, email, or text message:
COVID-19 vaccine at VA. ● Text messages will always come from 53079.
● Emails will always come from a va.gov email address.
When you sign up, we’ll also ask about your vaccine
plans. Your local VA health facility may use this infor- To learn about your facility’s current plan, go to the facil-
mation to determine when to contact you once your risk ity’s website. Once you're on the site, go to Health care
group becomes eligible. Note: We’ll contact every eligi- services, then COVID-19 in the menu.
ble Veteran in each risk group. You don't need to sign
up to get a vaccine. Sign up to stay informed at What you can do now
www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/ You can take these actions now:
stay-informed ● Apply for VA health care. If you’re not currently
enrolled in VA health care, you can apply now. Find
Who can now get a COVID-19 vaccine out if you’re eligible for VA health care and how to
apply
at VA ● Schedule a primary care appointment at a VA health
We continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines to Veterans facility. If you’re enrolled, but you haven’t received
as quickly and safely as we can. We still have a limited care through VA in the past 2 years, contact your
amount of vaccines. So, we continue to follow our phased local VA health facility. We can help you schedule
plan based on VA and CDC COVID-19 risk criteria. Our a primary care appointment. If you haven’t yet
goal is always to do the most good for the most people. registered at a facility, we can help you register. Find
the phone number for your nearest VA health facility
At this time, we can only offer COVID-19 vaccines to ● Make sure your VA.gov profile is up to date. If you
these 2 groups when the Veteran is eligible based on VA currently receive care through VA, we’ll contact you
and CDC risk criteria: when you can get a COVID-19 vaccine. Check your
● Veterans who currently receive care through VA, and address and phone number on file with VA to be sure
● Designated primary and secondary family caregivers we have your current contact information.
who are enrolled in our Program of Comprehensive ● Consider all your options. Your employer, local
Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) public health officials, or local pharmacy may offer
Note: You’ll need to wait at least 14 days between getting you a COVID-19 vaccine. We encourage you to take
a COVID-19 vaccine and any other vaccine. the first opportunity you have to get a vaccine at the
most convenient location for you.
Will VA offer vaccines to more Veterans and family mem-
bers in the future?

12 The Mariner • 2020 WINTER Edition • Volume 63 • Issue 3