(U.S. Senate) – Building off Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran’s (R-Kan.) successful effort to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to veterans and their families, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that it is accepting walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations nationwide for eligible veterans, spouses, and caregivers.

VA began administering COVID-19 vaccines to all veterans, spouses, and caregivers last month as a result of the Senators’ bipartisan Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse Act (SAVE LIVES Act)—law allowing the Department to provide COVID vaccination services to veterans and their families, regardless of whether they are enrolled in VA health care. As a result, VA has vaccinated more than 2.7 million individuals, including more than 60,000 individuals under the SAVE LIVES Act.

“This is great news for Montana veterans and their families who will no longer have to wait to get vaccinated,” said Chairman Tester. “I fought hard to pass my bipartisan SAVE LIVES Act in Congress to ensure every veteran, spouse, and caregiver has access to a vaccine from VA, because the science shows this vaccine is a safe and effective tool in the fight to manage the spread of this virus and help save lives. I urge folks to take advantage of this convenient walk-in service at their closest VA facility as quickly as possible, so we can put this pandemic in the rearview mirror and our economy back on track.”

“The COVID-19 vaccine is our best shot at getting back to normal, and it has been my priority to ensure every veteran has easy access to the vaccine,” said Ranking Member Moran. “This decision to begin walk-in vaccinations at VA facilities will help increase accessibility to the vaccine, and thanks to the SAVES LIVES Act, every veteran, their spouse and caregiver can now receive a vaccine at any VA medical center. I encourage all veterans to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.”

This walk-in service ensures all veterans enrolled in VA health care and those authorized under Tester and Moran’s SAVE LIVES Act have an opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination from VA at their convenience. More information on COVID-19 vaccinations at VA can be found online HERE.