COVID-19 vaccines
VA Palo Alto health care is currently offering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment or by walk-in.
Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine at VA Palo Alto health care?
- Veterans
- Spouses and surviving spouses of Veterans: For COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, we are including spouses of same-sex and common-law marriages. Eligibility includes a widow or widower of a Veteran. If an individual characterizes his or her relationship as spousal, he or she can receive the vaccine.
- Caregivers of a Veteran: For COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, we define a caregiver as a family member or friend who provides care to the Veteran. Caregivers may help the Veteran with personal needs like feeding, bathing, or dressing. They may also help the Veteran with tasks like shopping or transportation. A person stating that they are the caregiver of a Veteran and giving the Veteran’s name is sufficient to give him or her a vaccine.
- CHAMPVA recipients
- Adolescents ages 12 to 17, who are caregivers of Veterans or are CHAMPVA beneficiaries under the SAVE LIVES Act, who will be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Please call 800-382-8387 and select option 8, to see if doses for adolescents are being offered at your preferred location.
The expanded authority depends on readily available COVID-19 vaccine supply and requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue to prioritize Veterans enrolled in VA care.
How to receive a COVID-19 vaccine
To request an appointment, give us a call Monday – Friday, at 650-496-2535, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment.
Palo Alto VA Medical Center
Vaccine available: Pfizer and Novavax (available by appointment and walk-in)
Monday - Friday; 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
(Closed for lunch, noon to 1:00 p.m.)
Location: Building 5, second floor, Room A-250
View campus map
Palo Alto VA Medical Center-Livermore
Vaccine available: Pfizer and Novavax (available by appointment and walk-in)
Monday - Friday; 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
(Closed for lunch, noon to 1:00 p.m.)
Location: Building 62, third floor, large waiting room, Room 327
View campus map
Fremont VA Clinic
Vaccine available: Pfizer and Novavax (available by appointment and walk-in)
Monday – Friday; 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
(Closed for lunch, noon to 1:00 p.m.)
Location: Room 152
Major General William H. Gourley VA-DoD Outpatient Clinic
Vaccine available: Moderna and Novavax (available by appointment and walk-in)
Monday – Friday; 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
(Closed for lunch, noon to 1:00 p.m.)
Location: First floor, Room 1001
San Jose VA Clinic
Vaccine available: Moderna and Novavax (available by appointment and walk-in)
Monday – Friday; 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
(Closed for lunch, noon to 1:00 p.m.)
Location: Second floor, General Medicine Clinic area
Can I receive my booster outside VA?
Yes, you can also receive your booster shot at no cost to you outside of VA. You can locate a vaccine site at vaccines.gov. Make sure to take your CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card when you go!
Once you receive your booster, we encourage you to share this information with your VA health care team. You can send a picture of your CDC COVID-19 vaccination record card to your VA provider through secure messaging. You can also add your vaccine information to your MyHealtheVet health summary for your own records. To add your information, you’ll need a premium MyHealtheVet account.
Learn more about managing your COVID-19 vaccine records on our website
Looking for your California Digital COVID-19 vaccine record?
VA is not authorized to share your vaccine record. To set up your California Department of Public Health digital COVID-19 vaccine record, you will need to use their support tool to manually upload your record.
Have a photo or scanned file of your government ID and vaccine record ready!
Visit CDPH Vaccination Support to get started!
Are you thinking about getting a COVID-19 vaccine but still have questions?
It’s okay to ask your health care team about the benefits and safety of the vaccine based on your medical history. Contact your provider today to learn more.
In the meantime, what can you do to fight COVID-19?
Keep up the 3Ws!
It’s important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Even after vaccination, Veterans and employees should continue to:
- Wear a face covering
- Watch your distance (stay 6 feet apart)
- Wash hands frequently