VVA Chapter PI 887

October 22, 2021

BLUF: VA Manila will have staff available by phone, email and secure message this weekend for Veterans to schedule COVID-19 booster doses. Right now, these boosters are for Veterans who received 2nd doses of Pfizer vaccine at VA Manila between May 10 – May 29, 2021. If you fit into this category and want to schedule a booster appointment for November 20, December 4, or December 5, you can call the VA Manila OPC this weekend to get scheduled – +63 (02) 8550-3888, Option 2, Option 5, or #MyVA (#6982), Option 2, Option 5. If you received a 2nd dose of Pfizer after May 29, or received a J&J Vaccine in June or July, please do not call this Clinic this weekend. We will be releasing additional information in the coming weeks about special booster doses for you. We are fully planning to be able to offer booster doses to all eligible Veterans who would like one. Thank you.

SCHEDULING OF COVID-19 BOOSTER DOSES AT VA MANILA FOR PFIZER VACCINE RECIPIENTS FOR DATES IN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER

VA Manila has received an additional shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to administer to eligible Veterans. These vaccine doses will be administered to Veterans who received the second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine at VA Manila between May 10, 2021 and May 29, 2021. VA Manila will be providing booster doses to this group first, as nearly all these Veterans were in CDC vaccine priority group 1B or 1C, being older than 65 with chronic medical conditions.

Based on the CDC and FDA guidelines, these individuals are eligible to get a 3rd dose of COVID-19 vaccines 6 months after the completion of their second vaccine dose.

To accomplish this, VA Manila will be holding 3 mass vaccination drives on the following days:

Date: Saturday, November 20th

Time: 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Location: VA Manila Out-patient Clinic, Pasay City, Metro Manila

Date: Saturday, December 4

Time: 09:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Location: VA Manila Outpatient Clinic, Pasay City, Metro Manila

Date: Sunday, December 5

Time: 09:00 AM – 2:30 PM

Location: VA Manila Outpatient Clinic, Pasay City, Metro Manila

 Veterans who received the second COVID-19 vaccine between May 10 and May 29,2021 are encouraged to receive their additional vaccine dose during one of the three mass vaccine clinic dates above. As this is Pfizer vaccine and requires more time to prepare the doses for Veterans, VA Manila will not be offering this vaccine on a walk-in basis as we were able to do with Johnson/Johnson vaccines in the past. All Veterans wishing to receive a booster dose must have a vaccine appointment scheduled.

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine, please follow one of these three steps:

SCHEDULE BY TELEPHONE: VA Manila will have telephone staff working this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24, between the hours of 8A and 3P if you would like to call this weekend and get scheduled for your booster dose. You can call the Outpatient Clinic at: +63 (02) 8550-3888, first press option 2 to reach the Outpatient Clinic, and then press option 5 to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. You can also use VA Manila’s toll-free phone from your Philippine mobile number (Sun, Smart, Globe): #MyVA (#6982). You may experience longer than normal hold times this Saturday and Sunday as we expect high demand for scheduling. You can also contact the Clinic during normal working hours next week to schedule your vaccine.

SCHEDULE BY EMAIL: Veterans who would prefer can send an email with their preferred date and time for their booster vaccine dose to the following email:  ManilaCOVIDVaccine@va.gov. Please include your cellular phone number with your email so that staff may reach you if they have any questions. We will try to schedule you within one hour of your suggested appointment time.

SCHEDULE BY MYHEALTHEVET SECURE MESSANGER: Lastly, Veterans may prefer to send a message to your medical provider about scheduling a booster vaccination date. Please be sure to include your preferred date/time in the body of your request message. We will try to schedule you within one hour of your suggested appointment time.  A member of our team at VA Manila will reach out to you to confirm your appointment.

REMINDERS AHEAD OF YOUR COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER APPOINTMENT:

On the day of your scheduled COVID-19 booster appointment,

Please bring your previously issued CDC COVID-19 vaccine administration card that was provided to you during your first two vaccine appointments by the VA Manila OPC. The Clinic will record your booster dose on this same card.

Unless it is absolutely necessary for your mobility, we ask that you not bring a spouse/companion with you to the Clinic during your booster appointment. This will help to ensure we have sufficient space in our waiting rooms and can ensure social distancing inside the clinic

Please be here 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time. There is no reason to arrive earlier than 15 minutes before your scheduled time.

Please cancel and reschedule your appointment if you feel any of the following COVID-19 symptoms in the days leading up to your scheduled booster appointment:

•              shortness of breath, chest pains,

•              fever,

•              dry cough,

•              tiredness,

•              aches and pains,

•              sore throat, and/or

•              rash

There is still limited parking options available in front of the Manila Outpatient Clinic due to ongoing construction of the Roxas Blvd Service Road by the Pasay City. We recommend Veterans have their driver provide door-to-door service and drop and pick up Veterans for their vaccine appointments. Those who are driving themselves may be able to find parking north of the Clinic adjacent to Cuneta Astrodome at the intersection of Roxas Boulevard and A. Arnaiz Avenue.

ANSWERS TO SOME ANTICIPATED FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: I received my COVID-19 vaccine from a VA facility in the United States or from a local provider in the Philippines. Am I eligible now to get a booster dose at VA Manila now?

A: Not at this time. VA Manila received a limited supply of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines this week, so we are targeting these vaccines to our most at risk populations. VA Manila fully expects to receive additional quantities of COVID-19 vaccines in the weeks and months ahead and should be able to offer a booster dose to all enrolled Veterans who would like one.

Q: I received the Jansen / Johnson & Johnson Vaccine at the VA Manila Clinic in June or July 2021. Am I eligible to receive a booster dose now?

A: Not at this time. The US CDC and FDA just gave final approval to booster doses for Moderna and J&J vaccine recipients at a meeting yesterday (10/21/2021) in the United States. VA is still reviewing the changes that were approved to the Moderna and J&J Emergency Use Authorization. As these guidelines are reviewed by VA’s National clinical leadership team in Washington, DC,, additional details will be forthcoming in the next several weeks about how Moderna / J&J vaccine recipients can receive an additional/booster dose.

Q: Can my spouse receive a booster dose from VA Manila when I receive mine?

A: No. It has been determined that VA Manila does not have the legal authority to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to spouses, caregivers, and non-service-connected Veterans who are outside of the United States. VA Manila will only be able to provide additional/booster COVID-19 vaccines to service-connected Veterans going forward.

Q: Can I walk in to receive my vaccine on any of the dates listed above?

A: No. Pfizer vaccines require more intensive preparations than the J&J vaccines, so we must have all Veterans scheduled for a vaccine appointment if they wish to receive one. Please use one of the methods shared above, phone, email, or secure message, to schedule your vaccine today.

Q: How early should I arrive for my vaccine appointment?

A: We ask all Veterans not to arrive more than 15 minutes ahead of their scheduled COVID-19 vaccination appointment during our mass vaccination clinic days. We will be having close to 400 people coming to the Clinic to receive their vaccines, and space and seating in our waiting rooms will be at a premium. There is no need to arrive for your vaccine at 8AM if you are not scheduled until 11:00AM. No more than 15 minutes early, please.

Also, if you are planning to bring a companion, helper, or caregiver, please do not bring them into the Clinic unless it is necessary.

Q: I haven’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccine yet but I would like one.

A: Please email VA Manila at ManilaCOVIDVaccine@va.gov and provide your name, current address, current mobile number, and date of birth. A member of the clinic’s staff will contact you. While we may not have additional supplies to vaccinate you right now, we are anticipating additional COVID-19 vaccine supplies in the future and will keep your name on file. You may also wish to get vaccinated from your LGU/Municipality. Over the months of September and October, the Philippines has received a significant amount of COVID-19 vaccines, and vaccines should be readily available in most areas now.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Daniel Gutkoski, MHA
Clinic Manager
VA Manila Outpatient Clinic
US Embassy to the Philippines, Seafront Compound
1501 Roxas Boulevard, 1302 Pasay City, Metro Manila
+63 (02) 8396-3735 – Direct Dial
#MyVA (#6982) – Toll Free