Immunizations Overview

All adults need vaccinations to protect against serious diseases that could result in severe illness requiring medical treatment or even hospitalization, missed work, and not being able to care for family. Vaccines are recommended throughout your life. Even if you were fully vaccinated as a child, you may be at risk for other diseases due to your age, job, lifestyle, travel, or health condition. In addition, the protection from some vaccines can wear off over time.

The best way to protect ourselves from respiratory illness is with vaccinations. Vaccines can help protect from flu, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), COVID-19 and pneumococcal pneumonia. These vaccines are available free of charge to veterans receiving care at VA.

Types

You might have questions about vaccines, such as:

  • What vaccines are recommended for me this season?
  • How else can I stay healthy and keep from getting sick?
  • Can I receive all recommended vaccines at once, or should they be spaced out?

Your VA health care provider can help you answer these questions. You can call your local VA to learn when and where you can get vaccines.

Flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumococcal vaccines are available at VA’s network of over 70,000 community pharmacies and urgent care locations nationwide. If you choose to get a vaccine outside of VA, let them know you’re a veteran enrolled in VA health care and bring this billing information card with you.

Risk Factors

Receipt of multiple vaccines over a brief time is a common feature of military overseas deployments.

Although recent studies have shown that the anthrax vaccine is highly reactogenic, there is no clear evidence from Gulf War studies that link the anthrax vaccine to Gulf War illness.

Taken together, limited results from Gulf War epidemiologic studies, the preferred administration of the vaccine to troops in support locations, and the lack of widespread, multi-symptom illness resulting from current deployments, all combine to indicate that the anthrax vaccine is not a likely cause of Gulf War illness for most ill veterans. However, limited evidence from animal research and Gulf War epidemiologic studies indicate that a link between Gulf War illness and receipt of a large number of vaccines cannot be ruled out.

For veterans, staying healthy is especially important. Many veterans have underlying health conditions. These conditions can make illnesses like the flu, RSV, COVID-19 or bacterial pneumonia far more dangerous. They can lead to serious complications, especially in older adults and those with compromised immune systems.

By taking the simple step of getting vaccinated, you’ll protect yourself and those around you. Most people have either mild side effects or no side effects after getting a vaccine. Some of the most common side effects are arm pain or swelling, headache and fatigue. These effects should not last more than 1 or 2 days.

Other Resources and Support

For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs stance on vaccines and immunizations among Gulf War Veterans, please click here.

https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/sources/vaccinations.asp

https://news.va.gov/51456/important-veterans-families-get-flu-shot-vaccines/

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list