From the VA media relations department:

VA Takes Aim at Flu
Vaccination Easy Way to Protect Health, Loved Ones
WASHINGTON (October 25, 2007) - To safeguard the health of America's
veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is urging all
veterans, especially those enrolled in VA's health care system, to
receive flu vaccinations this season.

Walk-in clinics, even drive-in clinics for the vaccinations -- which are
free for veterans enrolled in VA's health care system -- are being
offered at many of VA's 153 hospitals and more than 900 outpatient
clinics. Veterans should check with their nearest VA health care
facility to learn about local vaccination programs.

"Vaccination is a simple way of preventing serious health care problems,
especially among the elderly, those with compromised immune systems and
veterans with spinal cord injuries," said Acting Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield. "Part of VA's world-class health care
service is ensuring veterans get their flu shots."

Veterans should discuss flu vaccinations with their primary health care
provider. Physicians recommend flu vaccinations for pregnant women,
people with chronic medical conditions, those at least 50 years of age,
patients in long-term care facilities, and people who live with those at
high risk for complications from flu.

A recent study by Dr. Kristin Nichol, a nationally recognized expert on
the flu and chief of medicine at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center,
found dramatic reductions in deaths and sickness after getting a flu
shot. Vaccination reduced hospitalizations for pneumonia or influenza
by 27 per cent, and there was a 48 per cent reduction in deaths.

In addition to information about flu vaccines available in VA's medical
centers and clinics, VA maintains information for consumers on its Web
site at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/flu/.