The Fairfax County Health Department has announced that it will no longer accept registrations to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once the eligibility criteria is open to all individuals 16 or older. That event is scheduled to commence on April 18.

Eligible residents are now encouraged to directly schedule their vaccine appoint through VaccineFinder.org as Fairfax County moves into Phase 2 along with the rest of Virginia.

VaccineFinder displays locations that have available doses from approved vaccine providers across the county, including the Health Department, pharmacies, hospitals and some private practices. However, clinics managed by the Health Department and some of its partners may not be listed on that site until late April or early Maydue to available vaccine supply and the need to finish vaccinating those on its waitlist. Everyone who was on the County health department waitlist before it closed at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, will be contacted to schedule appointments within approximately one week. All other residents interested in obtaining a vaccine should utilize VaccineFinder.

Residents are encouraged to use VaccineFinder to schedule appointments directly with any provider based on the day, time and location that is most convenient for them. Each provider may have different processes to sign up to get an appointment. The County health department has asked that If you are on their current waitlist but get vaccinated by another provider, please remove yourself from the County’s waitlist.

The County’s health department says that its current registration system was required in Phase 1 to accommodate the prioritization of residents when local health departments were the primary community vaccination sites. In Phase 2, the larger pool of community vaccination sites allows the County to shift to this new process of using VaccineFinder, which is expected to allow greater flexibility and choice of where residents receive their vaccine.

Now that the entire Commonwealth is in the same phase, the Fairfax preregistration system will be retired but the state registration system will remain open after April 18 for those who meet Phase 1 eligibility criteria. Individuals in this group after April 18 can choose to schedule appointments on VaccineFinder or can register at Vaccinate Virginia if no appointments are available. For assistance, call the state’s call center at 877-829-4682 or the Fairfax County call center at 703-324-7404.

Vaccine Supply

As the transition to Phase 2 occurs, the demand for vaccine still surpasses a supply that has seen fluctuations across jurisdictions throughout the state and the country. State officials anticipated that vaccine supplies will begin to increase throughout the spring and summer.

“We are excited to take the next step to Phase 2. While our scheduling in Phase 1 went well, I am confident that the new scheduling process in Phase 2 will help since everyone will become eligible,” says Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay. “However, I want to set expectations. The high demand for vaccination in Fairfax County combined with the available vaccine supply will continue to be a challenge, especially in the initial weeks of Phase 2. With patience and care, we will get everyone vaccinated.”

Using Vaccine Finder

To find available appointments in the Fairfax Health District, visit the VaccineFinder.org website. Simply enter your zip code and select a search radius. Once appointments are available for clinics managed by the Fairfax County Health Department, those clinics will be listed on the map alongside other community providers and pharmacies. These other providers are more likely to have appointments available on VaccineFinder in the next few weeks.

VaccineFinder is not currently available in other languages, but users can change their web browser settings to their desired language as an alternative.

The County also wants its residents to know that If they need assistance in another language or have difficulty using the online system, they may call the Fairfax County Health Department at 703-324-7404.

Source:  Fairfax County Emergency Information blog

For more on this topic, read “New vaccine appointment system will allow for more flexibility and choice, Fairfax County officials say” in Reston Now.