Tester Announces 2,200 COVID-19 Vaccines for Montana Veterans this Week

Hundreds of vaccines slated for veterans in Glacier County, Glendive, Billings, Bozeman, and Helena following Chairman’s efforts

As a part of his continued push to ensure veterans are protected during the ongoing pandemic, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced that following his efforts as Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the Montana VA Health Care System is set to receive 2,200 COVID-19 vaccines this week for veterans and staff across the Treasure State.

“These additional vaccines are great news for hundreds of veterans across Montana,” said Chairman Tester. “VA has proven it can quickly deliver vaccines where they’re most needed, and I’m proud to have worked with the Administration to secure this week’s allocations. I’ll keep pushing to get more shots into arms, so that we can help save lives and get all Montanans through this pandemic.”

Appointments for veterans and staff will be available at the following COVID-19 vaccination clinics across the state:

Cut Bank

• 35 first doses will be administered on Tuesday, March 16

Glendive

• 65 second doses will be administered on Tuesday, March 16

Billings

• 300 first doses will be administered on Thursday, March 18
• 400 second doses will be administered on Friday, March 19

Bozeman

• 200 first doses and 200 second doses will be administered on Friday, March 19

Helena

• 1000 first doses will be administered on Saturday, March 20

Vaccinations are available by appointment only for eligible and enrolled veterans. If a Montana veteran is not enrolled in VHA health care, they are encouraged to call (877) 468-8387 and select Option 4 to find out if they are eligible.

Tester has been fighting to ensure Montana’s veterans and VA staff-especially those in rural areas-get their fair share of the COVID-19 vaccine supply. He has continually announced vaccine distributions across Montana, with hundreds of vaccines expected to be administered to eligible veterans in other cities in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, Tester successfully secured billions in the COVID-19 relief package to vaccinate, support and protect veterans in Montana and across the country. This included $14.5 billion for VA to provide health care services and related support to eligible veterans, including COVID-19 vaccine distribution, expanded mental health care, enhanced telehealth capabilities, extended support for veterans who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless, and PPE and supplies for clinical employees.