January 11, 2021

Dear Neighbor,

The online pre-screening form and vaccine appointment questionnaire is up and running on the County website. After completing the screening and questionnaire, the Fairfax County Health Department will contact eligible individuals to schedule their vaccination.

I know many of you were unable to get through by phone as the Health Department call center experienced heavy call volume, receiving more than 1000 calls per minute early in the day. If you qualify for phase 1a or 1b, you can call the vaccine hotline at (703) 324-7404 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) to register for an appointment.

The Health Department asks for the public’s patience as the vaccine supply we have received from the Virginia Department of Health remains limited. The ability to schedule appointments will depend on the supply available.
As you may have heard, starting this week, individuals in the Phase 1b category will begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations. This includes adults age 75 and older, frontline essential workers, and several other groups.

Below you will find information about how you can receive the vaccine if you are eligible. These details are posted on the county’s Emergency Information Blog.

Older Adults

For adults age 75 and older, there are two methods to schedule the vaccination:

  • Call the Health Department’s vaccine hotline at (703) 324-7404 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
  • The online pre-screening form and vaccine appointment questionnaire

Frontline Essential Workers

Vaccine supply in the United States is still very limited and is expected to increase gradually over the next months. Because there is not sufficient supply to vaccinate everyone in Phase 1b at the same time, frontline essential workers will be vaccinated in the following order:

  1. Police, fire, and hazmat
  2. Corrections and homeless shelter workers
  3. Childcare/K-12 teachers/staff* (See message below)
  4. Food and agriculture
  5. Manufacturing
  6. Grocery store workers
  7. Public transit workers
  8. Mail carriers (USPS and private)
  9. Officials needed to maintain continuity of government.

Beginning Monday, January 11, closed vaccination clinics for police, fire and hazmat, corrections, and homeless shelter workers will be conducted by the Health Department. There will be no need for individuals working in these sectors to contact the Health Department to schedule appointments.
Dates for the other Phase 1b frontline essential worker categories will be announced in the future. More details will be available on the Health Department webpage.

*K-12 Teachers, School Staff and Childcare Providers

The Fairfax Health Department is partnering with Inova to vaccinate an estimated 40,000 teachers and staff of public and private schools and childcare programs in the Fairfax Health District, starting as early as January 16. Read this update from Superintendent Brabrand for more details.

Please be sure to check the Health Department’s vaccine page and the Emergency Information Blog frequently, as information will be updated there regularly.

Ensuring you have the most up-to-date information is my priority. I will continue to send regular updates as we navigate these quickly changing days.
Yours in service,
Supervisor James Walkinshaw
P.S. Forward this message to your neighbors in the Braddock District! Residents can use our sign up feature or email [email protected] to subscribe to the monthly Braddock Beacon newsletter and Advisories like this.
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