VVA Chapter PI 887

MANILA VA OUTPATIENT CLINIC

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS

September 21, 2021

VA MANILA ENDING COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINICS EFFECTIVE 9/21/21

VA Manila recently received guidance from VA’s Office of General Counsel regarding the interpretation of the SAVES LIVES Act and VA’s ability to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals outside of the United States. Based on this guidance, going forward VA Manila will not be able to provide any further COVID-19 vaccines to individuals other than enrolled Veterans after September 21, 2021.

The SAVE LIVES Act authorized VA Manila to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Veterans eligible for medical benefits at the Clinic under 38 USC 1724, which includes Veterans with service-connected disabilities. In enacting the SAVES LIVES Act, Congress did not amend 38 USC 1724 to authorize VA to provide services to non-enrolled Veterans, spouses, and caregivers outside of the United States. On that basis, VA’s Office of General Counsel has advised that VA remains limited to providing medical benefits only to service-connected Veterans outside of the United States. Therefore, VA Manila will cease providing vaccines to spouses, widows, and CHAMP-VA beneficiaries after September 21, 2021. Also based on this guidance, VA Manila will not be able to provide COVID-19 vaccines to caregivers, dependents, or non-VA Manila-enrolled Veterans.

Caregivers, spouses, and dependents of Veterans, as well as Veterans not eligible for medical benefits who reside in the Philippines and who still wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine should work with local government units and provincial health authorities to obtain vaccines through available sources locally. Based on recent news stories, the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines is reported to increase over the next 60 days. Receiving your vaccine from local sources may also help to ensure your vaccine is recognized by local authorities.

As additional details on the need for booster vaccines from VA and the US CDC becomes available, VA Manila will continue to provide updates to the Veteran community. Based on the latest information and guidance, VA Manila does not anticipate receiving additional supplies of COVID-19 vaccines until January 2022, which is eight months after the Clinic began providing Pfizer vaccinations to enrolled Veterans in April 2021.

If you have further questions regarding vaccinations, please feel free to email ManilaCOVIDVaccine@va.gov. Veterans who received vaccinations from non-VA sources in the United States or the Philippines should send their COVID-19 Vaccination Administration Record to VA Manila so that your record can be properly updated. Veterans can use MyHealtheVet to send a scan or photograph of their COVID-19 Vaccine Card to the Clinic or send it through the email provided above.

In closing, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on how much the Clinic has accomplished to date. VA Manila Outpatient Clinic has provided nearly 6,500 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Veterans, spouses, widows, and CHAMP-VA beneficiaries. As the Clinic Manager, I am proud of the tireless work that our dedicated Clinic staff have shown in administering vaccines – working weekends and holidays to offer more appointments and more convenient times for those to get their jabs. I’m also thankful for the Veterans who have chosen to receive their vaccines from VA Manila – keeping themselves and those closest to them safe from the possible impacts of the pandemic. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to the Veterans Service Groups who have assisted VA Manila in reaching Veterans, provided transportation to the Clinic, supported Veterans with transportation subsidies, and helped VA Manila communicate with Veterans throughout the Philippines. We could not have done so much without everyone working together for the common good.

Please continue to stay healthy and well.

Best,

Dan

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