VA Offers Updated COVID-19 Vaccines
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers updated COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024 season. The updated vaccines, which include an additional shot for those 65 or older, are meant to offer protection against the latest COVID variations.
According to the VA official site, “Due to changes in the virus, it is important to get the updated vaccine.”
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Who Should Get the Updated COVID-19 Vaccine?
Even though the global COVID-19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror, the threat from the virus is still significant for some, especially anyone with compromised immune systems or who has loved ones who suffer from compromised immunity.
There are several circumstances the VA says may require the updated COVID shots. They include but may not be limited to the following:
- Those who have not received an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine made available after September 2023;
- Those with “moderately to severely immunocompromising conditions” may qualify for additional updated COVID-19 shots “if recommended by their provider;”
- Adults 65 and older should get an additional dose of the updated 2024 COVID-19 vaccine “if it has been at least four months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose;”
The VA official site says that if you have never received a COVID-19 vaccine, consider getting one updated Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two updated Novavax vaccines spaced three weeks apart.
Related: Military Spouse and Dependent Benefits Guide
Who Qualifies for the Updated COVID-19 Vaccine?
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers its updated COVID-19 vaccinations free of charge to VA healthcare system enrollees and VA employees.
Did you know you may also qualify for a free updated COVID-19 shot outside the VA healthcare system? Vaccines.gov provides a search tool for finding free COVID-19 vaccination options near you.
If you choose to get vaccinated outside the VA healthcare system, the VA encourages you to add your vaccination details to your VA medical healthcare records using a My HealtheVet account.
Getting the New Vaccine After Having COVID-19
Have you already contracted COVID-19? The current medical advice is that past COVID patients should remain current with COVID vaccinations. This advice includes waiting approximately three months before getting an updated COVID-19 shot.
You are “less likely” to be reinfected with COVID-19 in the first few weeks after recovering, but some may need to be revaccinated if they have a risk of “severe disease” or someone in the immediate household is at high risk.
What to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines
The updated vaccinations offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, and a regular vaccination schedule is encouraged by the CDC as the “best protection” against COVID-19.
There are three recommended COVID-19 vaccinations for those in the USA. They are the Novavax, Moderna, and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations.
According to the official site for the Illinois Department of Public Health, the updated COVID-19 vaccines for 2024 are reported to “more closely target the XBB lineage of the Omicron variant” and could “restore protection” lost over time as the previous vaccine begins to wear off.
Related: Military Spouse and Dependent Benefits Guide
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
