How To Get Vaccine In Arlington: Availability For Week Of May 2

ARLINGTON, VA — COVID-19 vaccination appointments are available at various providers in the upcoming week.

Arlington and the rest of Virginia have made everyone 16 and older eligible for the vaccine. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for use in people 18 and older, and the Pfizer vaccine is approved for use in people 16 and older.

Appointment availability is becoming more common than earlier months of vaccinations. Northern Virginia's health districts have teamed up for a new campaign called Stay Well NoVa to encourage people to get vaccinated. The campaign seeks to people who are hesitant but may be more open to getting vaccinated after seeing others do so.

The campaign comes as communities work toward herd immunity, which will make it more difficult for the virus to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn't set a specific percentage for achieving population immunity but says more broadly "population immunity means that enough people in a community are protected from getting a disease because they've already had the disease or they've been vaccinated."

According to Virginia Department of Health data, 6,371,414 total doses have been administered since last December. A total of 2,727,811 Virginians, or 32 percent of the state's population, are fully vaccinated.

As of Monday, 177,107 vaccine doses were administered in Arlington, according to Virginia Department of Health data. There are 114,034 people with at least one dose and 73,641 fully vaccinated.

As of April 18, all Arlington County residents 16 and older can find free appointments via VaccineFinder.org, where they will be able to choose from a variety of appointment times and clinics offering the vaccine.

All residents have to do to schedule an appointment directly at one of Arlington's public health clinics is to visit the county's website or search for an appointment at nearby locations by searching VaccineFinder.org.

If you have already pre-registered for a vaccination appointment but haven't received an invitation to schedule one, the county recommends checking your spam folder. If that doesn't work, schedule an appointment on the county website.

Adults 16 and 17 should seek an appointment at a location where the Pfizer vaccine is being offered. In the coming days, the county will resume administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This information will be included in the appointment slots.

People who are eligible in phases 1a, 1b or 1c are still being given priority in scheduling their appointments due to existing health conditions or the nature of their jobs. People in these groups who can't find an appointment through Vaccine Finder may still preregister through the state. This includes anyone 65 and older, healthcare workers, frontline essential workers, other essential workers, those with a medical condition or disability, or those living in a long-term care facility, correctional facility, homeless shelter, or migrant labor camp. To pre-register for the vaccine or check if you're registered, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682).

If you are eligible but have not been notified by your employer or health care provider, use this online locator to find a health department near you. Check Virginia's COVID webpage for regular updates.

Residents should email their local health departments if they have questions about why their names are not showing up on the statewide system and want reassurance that their names are on the registration list.

CVS (including those located within some Target stores), Safeway, Kroger, Walgreens and Walmart have begun administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible populations at locations throughout the state. Follow the links to register and schedule appointments.

Free No-Appointment Necessary Vaccinations

From May 3-7, free walk-in vaccinations are available at the following locations:

• Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St. South, Arlington, VA 22206; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Age requirements: 16 and over (individuals ages 16-17 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian who can provide permission to get the COVID-19 vaccine); Vaccine available: Pfizer
• Crystal City, 2100 Crystal Drive (GPS for parking: 220 20th Street South), Arlington, VA 22202; Monday-Tuesday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Age requirements: 18 and over; Vaccine available: Moderna and Johnson & Johnson

Vaccine Demographics In Arlington

As of Monday, the 30-39 age group in Arlington has received 24,881 vaccinations, which is more than any of other age group. The next closest is the 20-29 age group, with 20,219 vaccinations. More women have been vaccinated (60,444) than men (53,246) in Arlington.

For more information on coronavirus vaccines in Virginia, see the Virginia Patch COVID-19 vaccination page and link to it: https://patch.com/virginia/across-va/topics/virginia-covid-19-vaccine-information-hub