Fairfax Schools Open Coronavirus Vaccine Appointments To Staff

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — COVID-19 vaccination appointments will open to Fairfax County Public Schools staff on Saturday.

Scheduling began Thursday for the Pfizer-BioTech vaccinations being conducted by Inova Health System. All FCPS staff will be eligible to receive the vaccine if they choose. Staff will be grouped into different weeks for appointments, but all will be able to receive their first dose in the next three weeks. There will be no out-of-pocket charge, and FCPS would cover any administrative fees.

Vaccinations will be given at Inova Center for Personalized Health, 8100 Innovation Park Drive, Fairfax, which is the former Exxon Mobile site across from Inova Fairfax Hospital. Staff will need to bring FCPS staff ID or paystub, government form of ID such as a driver's license, appointment confirmation in print or electronic form, and completed informed consent form. During the vaccination appointment, staff will schedule their date to receive the second dose.

FCPS employees are asked to request appointments in their group's designated week:

Week 1: Jan. 16-22

• Bus Drivers and Bus Assistants
• Custodial Staff
• Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Staff
• School-Based Clerical Staff
• Groups 1 - 4 (must have FCPS account to access group details) and Pilot School Staff
  • Administrators
  • Teachers
  • Classroom Instructional Support Staff
  • Active Hourly Staff
• Winter and Fall Sports’ Coaches (including DSAs and trainers)

Week 2: Jan. 23-29

• Groups 5-6 Staff (must have FCPS account to access group details)
  • Administrators
  • Teachers
  • Classroom Instructional Support Staff
  • Active Hourly Staff
• Central Trades Staff
• Staff from Week 1 who were unable to schedule a vaccination or who need a makeup appointment

Week 3: Jan. 30-Feb. 5

• Groups 7-8 Staff (must have FCPS account to access group details)
  • Administrators
  • Teachers
  • Classroom Instructional Support Staff
  • Active Hourly Staff
• Substitutes
• Central Office Staff (employees not included in weeks 1 and 2)
• School Board Members and staff
• Spring Sports’ Coaches (including DSAs and trainers)
• All school-based staff not connected to a specific student group
• Staff from Weeks 2 and 3 who were unable to schedule a vaccination or who need a makeup appointment

Week 4: Feb. 6-12

• Staff from Weeks 1, 2 and 3 who were unable to schedule a vaccination or who need a makeup appointment

Employees in K-12 settings are eligible to receive the vaccine under phase 1b of vaccinations in Virginia. Fairfax County moved to phase 1b during the week of Jan. 11 and will continue phase 1a vaccinations. Phase 1b includes people 75 and older; people living in homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and migrant labor camps, and front-line essential workers. Due to the limited supply of vaccine doses available, essential workers are prioritized in the following order: police fire and hazmat; corrections and homeless shelter workers; child care, K-12 teachers and staff; food and agriculture (including veterinarians); manufacturing; grocery store workers; public transit workers; mail carriers and officials needed to maintain continuity of government.

The Fairfax County Health Department is holding private vaccination clinics through employers for the first essential worker groups — police, fire and hazmat, and corrections and homeless shelter workers as well as people living in correctional facilities and homeless shelters. Details for additional essential worker groups in phase 1b will be announced at a later time.

People 75 and up can register for vaccination appointments through the health department. To request an appointment, eligible residents can fill out pre-registration information online and will be contacted by the health department within several days to schedule an appointment. Appointments are also 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. The health department noted that the hotline is experiencing a high volume of calls, so residents are encouraged to use the online form.