All Veterans, their spouses and caregivers can get COVID-19 vaccinations from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under Public Law No: 117-4 (03/24/2021), also known as the Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act or the “SAVE LIVES Act.” The SAVE LIVES Act was signed into law by President Biden on March 24, 2021.

This SAVE LIVES Act authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine to covered individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Under the bill, covered individuals are

• Veterans who are not eligible to enroll in the VA health care system;
• Specified veterans who are eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care abroad;
• Beneficiaries who are eligible for care due to a specified disability or death of a veteran;
• Family caregivers of veterans who are participating in the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers;
• Caregivers of veterans participating in the VA’s Program of General Caregiver Support Services;
• Caregivers of veterans participating in the VA’s Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Program; and
• The spouses of veterans.

The VA must prioritize the vaccination of (1) veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) veterans who fail to enroll but receive hospital care and medical services for specified disabilities in their first 12 months of separation from service, and (3) caregivers accompanying such prioritized veterans.

Under the bill, the VA is authorized to determine the timing for offering a vaccine to the spouse of a veteran.

The Saves Lives Act is annex here –

Download (PDF, 140KB)

More information

To learn how to get COVID-19 vaccine from VA, visit https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/84404/veterans-designated-caregivers-can-get-covid-19-vaccine-va/.

Find answers to general VA COVID-19 vaccine questions at https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/.

To receive ongoing updates about VA’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts and to indicate your interest in getting the vaccine once you’re eligible, visit https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/stay-informed.

Read the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet at https://www.fda.gov/media/144638/download.

View the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet at https://www.fda.gov/media/144413/download.

Read the Janssen COVID-19 fact sheet at https://www.fda.gov/media/146305/download.

For additional information concerning VA compensation and pension benefits, visit:

VA Compensation and Pension Benefits