Coronavirus Vaccinations Open To Phase 1B In Fairfax County

Emily Leayman
Updated ·3 min read

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The Fairfax Health District begins the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday, Jan. 11. The Fairfax County Health Department outlined details for the first groups eligible in phase 1b. Vaccinations have been ongoing for the 1a group and will continue.

The next phase opens up vaccine appointments to more groups: people aged 75 and older, people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps, and front-line essential workers who are "essential to the functioning of society, are at substantially higher risk of exposure to SARSCoV-2, and cannot work remotely." These include police, fire and hazmat; corrections and homeless shelter workers; child care, K-12 teachers and staff; food and agriculture, manufacturing; grocery store workers; public transit workers; and USPS and private mail carriers.

The Fairfax Health District and other Northern Virginia health districts were allowed to start phase 1b on Jan. 11, per the Virginia Department of Health. The health district covers Fairfax County and the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax.

Appointment scheduling begins on Jan. 11, according to the Fairfax County Health Department. Below are the details for the different groups in phase 1b.

People ages 75 and older: Appointments are available by calling the health department's vaccine hotline at 703-324-7404, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. An online scheduler is coming soon; check back for updates here.

Frontline essential workers: Because there is not enough supply to vaccinate every essential worker group at one time, they will be done in the following order:

  1. Police, fire, and hazmat: Closed vaccination clinics for police, fire and hazmat, corrections and homeless shelter workers will be conducted by the health department beginning on Jan. 11. Workers receive scheduling information directly from their agency (Fairfax County, Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, Towns of Vienna and Herndon) and do not need to contact the health department to schedule appointments.

  2. Corrections and homeless shelter workers: Closed vaccination clinics for police, fire and hazmat, corrections and homeless shelter workers will be conducted by the health department beginning on Jan. 11. Workers do not need to contact the health department to schedule appointments.

  3. Childcare/K-12 teachers/staff: Check with your employer. Fairfax County Public Schools announced it is partnering with Inova to vaccinate an estimated 40,000 teachers and staff of public and private schools and childcare programs across the Fairfax Health District starting as early as Jan. 16. The health department is finalizing the logistics with Inova and is collaborating with FCPS on an implementation plan to accomplish this within the next three weeks, as vaccine supplies allow.

  4. Food and agriculture: Check back for future guidance.

  5. Manufacturing: Check back for future guidance.

  6. Grocery store workers: Check back for future guidance.

  7. Public transit workers: Check back for future guidance.

  8. Mail carriers (USPS and private): Check back for future guidance.

  9. Officials needed to maintain continuity of government: Check back for future guidance.

Phase 1a (health care personnel): Inova has rounds of vaccinations for all health care personnel, including those not affiliated with Inova. Another option is appointments through the health department. Make an appointment by calling the Health Department’s vaccine hotline at 703-324-7404 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.). An online appointment scheduler will be coming soon.

Phase 1a (long-term care facilities): Vaccinations are being conducted through a federal program with Walgreens and CVS at participating long-term care facilities. Contact your facility’s administrator for more information.

The health department estimates it will take weeks to months to vaccinate those in phase 1b. The ability to schedule appointments will depend on vaccine availability from manufacturers. Virginia as a whole receives 110,000 doses per week from the federal government allocation. Dates for groups in phase 1c and beyond have not been announced.

More information is provided at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/vaccine.

This article originally appeared on the Vienna Patch