Authorizing Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Furnish Seasonal Influenza Vaccines

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5671, as amended. This bill will authorize VA to give flu shots to certain nonveterans this flu season. Earlier this year, the chairman and I worked with the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs' colleagues to allow VA to vaccinate all veterans, as well as their spouses and certain caregivers against COVID-19.

The bill we are considering today would allow VA to provide flu vaccines to those individuals as well this flu season. Preventing a bad flu season this year is important for many reasons. It could help save lives, most importantly. It could help avoid adding further burden to the shoulders of the doctors and the nurses who have already sacrificed so much throughout this pandemic. It could also help ensure that COVID- 19 recovery efforts stay on track as we continue to try to get back to life as we knew it before March 2020.

This is an important public health initiative and I am glad to support it today. I hope this bill will have the support of all of my colleagues.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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