As Temperatures Drop, Vaccinations Soar

  • Published
  • Tricare Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  To prepare for the fall school year and the holiday season, TRICARE beneficiaries can protect their families by using TRICARE's vaccine benefit. Vaccines lower the chances of catching serious diseases and reduce long-term health care costs. That's why it's good news that TRICARE is covering more vaccine claims than ever.

One of the most contagious and common viruses during winter is the flu. Getting the flu vaccine protects you and those around you who are at higher risk from the flu, such as children, older adults, and pregnant women. "Last year during flu season, TRICARE covered flu vaccines for more than 453,000 beneficiaries," said Dr. George Jones, the Defense Health Agency pharmacy chief. "We expect this number to climb even higher this season, since many beneficiaries are getting vaccinated earlier."

Being vaccinated every year is the best way to prevent the flu; TRICARE covers both the flu shot and the flu mist. To learn more about flu basics, treatments, and prevention visit www.cdc.gov/flu.

Last fall and winter, over 50,000 adults also received the shingles vaccine and within just the past five months almost 22,000 more beneficiaries were also vaccinated. "Shingles is a painful, but preventable disease," said Dr. Jones. "TRICARE beneficiaries 60 and older can get the shingles vaccine, Zostavax, at no cost from one of our 45,000 network pharmacies."

TRICARE claims for vaccines have increased almost 11% in the past 12 months. In the past six months, TRICARE also helped prepare children for school by covering about 8,400 vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough and more than 400 vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox at retail pharmacies alone. Overall, TRICARE covered nearly 14,000 vaccines for children 0-18 years old.

Almost any doctor will tell you it's better to prevent a disease than treat it. TRICARE beneficiaries can keep their families safe by utilizing the no-cost vaccine benefit before vaccine-preventable diseases occur. Beneficiaries can get vaccines at no cost from any TRICARE-authorized pharmacy. The standard copayment for an office visit applies when you get a vaccine in a doctor's office.

To find a pharmacy or provider that participates in the vaccine program and see a list of covered vaccines, go to www.tricare.mil/vaccines or call 1-877-363-1303