Flu season is here!

Veterans Health Administration sent this bulletin at 02/10/2020 03:16 PM EST

Widespread flu across Pennsylvania

The number of flu cases is rapidly rising throughout Pennsylvania. The PA Department of Health reports influenza as widespread throughout the state, with more than 59,000 confirmed cases of flu to date.

Vaccination is the best and most effective way to prevent the flu. If you have not received a flu shot, it's not too late to get one! Please contact your local VA medical center for details.

A person can catch the flu and give it to others without showing any signs of being ill for 48-96 hours. Common flu symptoms include:

fever or feeling feverish/chill
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
muscle or body aches
fatigue or tiredness
some people may have vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children rather than adults)

Please seek medical attention by contacting your primary care provider as soon as possible. There is medication, that if started in the first 48 hours of illness, may lessen the severity and length of time that you are sick.

Get care now!

Veterans enrolled in VA health care can now obtain certain types of care with the ease of a video appointment. Using VA Video Connect, VISN 4 Tele Urgent Care allows you to connect to your health care team privately and securely in a virtual medical room from anywhere using the camera on your smart phone, computer, or tablet.

If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, turn to us for a prompt diagnosis and comprehensive care. We'll provide you with individualized treatment recommendations based on your unique needs, and we'll even phone in a prescription to your VA facility or a local pharmacy near you.

Veterans can dial the main number of their local VA medical center and press option #3 to speak with a nurse. The nurse will review your symptoms, provide a care recommendation, and if appropriate, schedule a Tele Urgent Care appointment.

VISN 4 Tele Urgent Care is currently available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In the future, we hope to offer extended hours to fit your busy schedule. Additionally, there are no copayments associated with virtual visits!

Connect with your doctor online!

VISN 4 Tele Urgent Care offers Veterans the convenience of video appointments using VA Video Connect. This is a great option for Veterans to access their VA health care team without traveling to a medical center or outpatient clinic. View a brief video and see how Veterans in VISN 4 are using this app for their health care appointments.

About VA Healthcare-VISN 4

VA Healthcare–VISN 4 is a fully integrated network of 9 VA campuses, 45 outpatient clinics, 1 mobile clinic, and 17 vet centers covering Pennsylvania and Delaware and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, New York and New Jersey.

In fiscal year 2019, VISN 4 served 314,768 Veterans from across the Nation. With an operating budget of more than $2.2 billion and a staff of 14,875, VISN 4 is working hard to transform toward personalized, proactive, patient-driven health care.

Get the latest news from VISN 4 in our Vision for Excellence newsletter and learn how we are improving access to care and earning Veterans' trust.

Learn more


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