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COVID-19 vaccines and testing

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Safe care is our mission. VA Houston offers the COVID-19 vaccine to ALL Veterans, Veteran spouses, caregivers of Veterans, and CHAMPVA beneficiaries at no cost.
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Safe care is our mission. VA Houston offers the COVID-19 vaccine to ALL Veterans, Veteran spouses, caregivers of Veterans, and CHAMPVA beneficiaries at no cost.
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COVID Symptoms

If you are asymptomatic, there is no need to walk into the Emergency Department (ED) to get tested for COVID-19. Please reserve use of the ED for those experiencing a medical emergency or if you feel your COVID symptoms require emergency medical treatment. 

If you recently came in contact with someone with COVID and have no symptoms, keep isolated from others to avoid possible spread and monitor your symptoms until you can schedule an appointment for a COVID test.

If you have COVID symptoms, please contact your VA primary care provider at 713-794-8985 for further guidance. Your provider may recommend a COVID test.

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COVID-19 vaccine information

Houston VA offers the COVID-19 vaccine to Veterans of all ages (regardless of whether they are enrolled at the VA), their spouses and caregivers, and CHAMPVA beneficiaries. 

  • Houston VA: The COVID-19 vaccine is available at most of our primary and specialty care teams. Please ask your health care team about receiving the vaccine.
  • Community Based Outpatient Clinics: Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., at: Beaumont, Conroe, Katy, Lake Jackson, Lufkin, Richmond, Texas City, and Tomball.

If you are undecided about getting the vaccine and need more information to make a decision, check out our Vaccine Questions page, which includes videos, downloadable information and frequently asked question. 

What else can I do to fight COVID-19?  

Be sure to get both doses of the vaccine if you received Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for your first dose. If someone is late for their second dose, they should still get it. VA will provide the second doses to employees, Veterans, or anyone who qualifies under the Save Lives Act such as spouses and caregivers, no matter where they received their first dose, if that is more convenient.  

Keep up the 3W’s! It’s important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Even after vaccination, Veterans and employees should continue to:

     Wear a face covering
     Watch your distance (stay 6 feet apart)
     Wash hands frequently

COVID-19 testing

Protect Your Loved Ones – Get Your FREE COVID-19 Self-Test Kits 

VA knows that protecting the health of your loved ones is important to you. When it comes to COVID-19, this is especially true for those who are at risk, like pregnant women, young children, the elderly, or those with multiple medical conditions and poor health. We also know that sometimes, getting a COVID-19 Self-Test Kit isn’t easy. 

How Do I Get Free COVID-19 Self-Tests Kits? 

You can order 4 free COVID-19 self tests from COVIDTests.gov. 

You can do this by visiting the website, or calling 1-800-232-0233 to speak to someone in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages. This call-line is open 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., 7 days a week. There’s also a TTY line (1-888-720-7489) to support access by hearing-impaired callers. 

If you have already received your test kits but know a Veteran who needs a COVID-19 self-test, please share this message.  

COVID-19 testing continues to be one of the best ways to stop the spread of the virus. Testing is safe, accurate, quick, and can be completed at home. Order your Self-Test Kits now so you have them when you need them.  

Should I Notify My VA Care Team Before Taking a Test? 

In order to get the best results, self tests should be taken in one of the following two ways, in order of preference: 

  1. Take the self-test during a telehealth visit with your VA care team – schedule a VA Video Connect (VVC) telehealth visit through My HealtheVet
  1. Take a photo of your self-test result and send it to your VA care team using a secure message through My HealtheVet or share the photo during a VVC telehealth visit 

However, if the above is not available after taking the test, report any positive results to your VA health care provider/care team right away. If treatment is recommended, it needs to be started as soon as possible.

Learn more about COVID-19 testing at VA.

How Do I Get Free Masks? 

You can get up to 3 free N95 or KN95 masks per person from your local pharmacies. Visit this link to find a participating pharmacy near you. 

What you need to know before visiting our facilities.

For the protection of our Veterans and staff, VA Houston and our community clinics have some limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more about visitation, masks, and more.