VA, HHS urge veterans to get COVID shots before holiday season

Among veterans in the VA health care system, more than 805,000 have contracted the virus and more than 23,400 have died. Those numbers do not include every veteran in America, because not every veteran relies on VA as their primary medical care provider.

Active cases of coronavirus across the VA medical system have spiked in recent weeks, rising about 60% in the last month.

McDonough said he has not yet seen a significant increase in the number of VA staff unable to work because of coronavirus infections, but officials are closely monitoring for signs of trouble.

Department health officials have said they expect a spike in cases over the

Before holiday parties start, Veterans Affairs officials are urging all veterans to stop by their nearest medical center for an early present: a COVID-19 booster shot.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough partnered with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra for a press event Monday highlighting the need for updated vaccine shots agains against the still-present threat of coronavirus. The pair toured operations at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center and spoke to staffers administering the vaccines to patients.,

This is so important as we head into the holidays,” McDonough told reporters. “So many of our veterans have had to isolate for the last couple of years, leading to missing their families.

“Now our veterans, having access to the updated bivalent boosters and flu vaccine, can be reunited with their families at this critically important time of year.”

The effort is part of the White House’s six-week push to get millions of Americans vaccinated ahead of another expected surge in COVID-19 cases. More than 98 million cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in America since the start of the pandemic in spring 2020, and at least 1,075,000 have died from complications related to the virus.

Among veterans in the VA health care system, more than 805,000 have contracted the virus and more than 23,400 have died. Those numbers do not include every veteran in America, because not every veteran relies on VA as their primary medical care provider.

Active cases of coronavirus across the VA medical system have spiked in recent weeks, rising about 60% in the last month.

McDonough said he has not yet seen a significant increase in the number of VA staff unable to work because of coronavirus infections, but officials are closely monitoring for signs of trouble.

Department health officials have said they expect a spike in cases over the