Montana VA Health Care System Launches 2022 Flu Shot Season with Statewide Clinics

The Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS) has kicked off the 2022 flu shot season. Enrolled Montana veterans have multiple options to make getting a free flu shot easy.

First, veterans who are enrolled with VA healthcare will be offered flu shots at their Montana VA primary care appointments. Second, flu vaccines are available to enrolled veterans at pharmacies and urgent care locations across Montana.

To find a close-to-home and in-network community care provider, veterans can search by entering in their home zip code in the drop-down menu of the VA locator, http://www.va.gov/find-locations. Finally, many local Montana VA clinics are holding additional flu shot options, such as drive-in flu clinics or walk-in options.

“Flu is always a preventable respiratory infection,” said Dr. Judy Hayman, Montana VA executive director. “The flu shot is a safe, compassionate way we can protect others by stopping the spread of the flu virus.”

The flu vaccine gets updated annually, and veterans should get a flu shot each year. The flu shot is safe and effective, and a person cannot get the flu from the flu shot. The flu virus most impacts high-risk groups such as adults who are 65 years or older, pregnant women, people in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, individuals with medical conditions (such as heart disease, asthma, and kidney or

Walk-in flu shots are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Glasgow at 630 2nd Ave S., Suite A, in Glasgow.

Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled veterans across Montana—an area roughly 147,000 square miles in size. Veterans are cared for by a staff of 1,400 at 18 sites of care across the state. One third of Montana VA employees are veterans. veterans can connect to their VA healthcare records, information, and message their VA care teams 24 hours a day through the MyHealtheVet patient portal (www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/how-to-use-mhv).

Montana VA information, updates, and events are available on the Montana VA website (www.va.gov/montana-health-care) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/VAMontana).