Veterans who served in Afghanistan may be experiencing a range of challenging emotions related to the U.S withdrawal from the country and the events unfolding now. Veterans who served during other conflicts may also be feeling strong emotions as they may be reminded of their own deployment experiences.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
As a facility, we cannot fully understand what you may be experiencing. There are many different perspectives and emotions that can arise as Veterans become aware of the current events in Afghanistan. The range of feelings, sometimes conflicting or contradictory emotions, are normal.
Veterans may question the meaning of their service or whether it was worth the sacrifices they made. They may feel moral distress about experiences they had during their service. It’s normal to feel this way.
We are here to listen. Our competent and caring Behavioral Health team is available and can help with the most common responses such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, moral injury, and complicated grief. When you are ready, call us today at 814-860-2038.
If you feel like you might hurt yourself or someone else, reach out now. The Veterans Crisis Line, online chat, and text-messaging service are free to all Veterans – including Veterans not enrolled in VA health care.
Confidential support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year through the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, Press 1.
For information on additional resource available to Veterans click here.
In August 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a third dose (booster) of COVID-19 for those with moderate to severe immunocompromised health who received their Moderna vaccine.
This includes those with organ transplants, those currently getting treatment, such as chemotherapy for cancer, advanced or untreated HIV infection, and other moderate to severe conditions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends those who received the Moderna vaccine use the same vaccine for their third dose. Additional doses are not recommended for others at this time.
The Erie VA Medical Center is offering the third dose of Moderna to Veterans who meet the criteria. All eligible Veterans will be contacted by their primary care team to schedule an appointment for the third vaccine.
Please note: There is not enough data on whether immunocompromised patients who received the J&J/Janssen vaccine should get an additional shot at this time.
Beginning September 1, 2021, the Community Outpatient Based Clinics (CBOC) will offer the third dose of Moderna vaccine to eligible Veterans.
Third dose Moderna vaccine is available for eligible Veterans who are receiving care at the Erie VAMC or a CBOC. All COVID-19 booster appointments must be scheduled in advance.
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