Montana VA Healthcare prepping for flu shot season

Montana VA Healthcare

HELENA — The Montana VA Health Care System kicks off the 2022 flu shot season next week. 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, https://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, details below based on location.

“Flu is always a preventable respiratory infection,” said Montana VA Executive Director Judy Hayman, Ph.D. “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 liver disorders, and people with weakened immune symptoms.

Montana VA’s flu shot clinic schedule by location

Billings, Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow VA Clinic, 1775 Spring Creek Lane, Billings 

• Oct. 5 Drive-Through Flu Clinic: From 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the parking lot 

• Walk-in flu shots are available every Thursday beginning Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. until 1 pm in the Ben Steele Conference room. 

Bozeman, Travis W. Atkins VA Clinic, 1101 E. Main St., Bozeman 

• Oct. 5 Walk-In Flu Clinic: From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

Butte VA Clinic, 40 Three Bears Drive, Butte 

• Oct. 12 Drive-Through Flu Clinic: From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

• Walk-in flu shots are available every Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. 

Cut Bank, 8 Second Ave. Southeast, Cut Bank 

• Walk-in flu shots are available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until noon and again from 3:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. 

Fort Harrison/Helena, 3687 Veterans Drive, Fort Harrison 

• Oct. 5 Drive-Through Flu Clinic: From 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Parking Lot A 

• Walk-in flu shots are available in the Primary Care Clinic 2nd floor conference room every Thursday beginning Sept. 29 from 8:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. 

Glasgow, 630 Second Ave.South, Suite A, Glasgow 

•  Walk-in flu shots are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

Glendive VA Clinic, 2000 Montana Ave., Glendive 

• Oct. 4 Drive-Through Flu Clinic: From 8:30 a.m. until noon  

• Walk-in flu shots are available Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. 

Great Falls VA Clinic 1400 29th South, Suite 1, Great Falls 

• Walk-in flu shots are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. 

Kalispell VA Clinic, 31 Three Mile Drive, Suite 102, Kalispell 

• Walk-in flu shots are available every Wednesday in October from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. 

Miles City VA Clinic, 316 S Haynes Avenue, Miles City 

• Oct. 5 Drive-Through Flu Clinic: From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. North side of clinic 

• Walk-in flu shots are available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

Missoula, David J. Thatcher VA Clinic, 3885 West Broadway St. Missoula 

• Oct. 13 Walk-In Flu Clinic: From 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

• Walk-in flu shots are available every Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

Montana VA serves more than 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 at https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/how-to-use-mhv. Montana VA information, updates, and events are available on the Montana VA website at https://www.va.gov/montana-health-care and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VAMontana .