Giant To Help Address Vaccine Wait List In Fairfax County

KINGSTOWNE, VA — Giant is partnering with the Fairfax County Health Department to work on the wait list for the COVID-19 vaccine. Giant will only serve individuals on the wait list for appointment scheduling beginning Wednesday.

Eight locations will offer the vaccine, and more will be added later, according to a newsletter from Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay. The stores will be alternatives to county facility sites for vaccine appointments. Residents in the health department's wait list who are offered an invitation to schedule an appointment will have the option of choosing a Giant location.

The eight locations are:

• 7501 Huntsman Boulevard, Springfield
• 6364A Springfield Plaza, Springfield
• 5740 Union Mill Road, Clifton
• 5870 Kingstowne Boulevard, Alexandria
• 3480 South Jefferson Street, Falls Church
• 7137 Columbia Pike, Annandale
• 2425 Centreville Road, Herndon
• 6200 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria

Residents are asked to not show up for a vaccine without an appointment at these Giant locations.

MyDr.’s Pharmacy will also join Giant as a partner providing vaccine for people on the health department's registration list. Other partners already providing the vaccine to registered individuals are Inova, George Mason University and Trusted Doctors.

The new partnership comes as the health department's weekly allocation has increased from 13,500 to 16,000 vaccine doses this week. Demand still exceeds supply with 97,670 people on the wait list as of 9 a.m. Wednesday. That's about 39 percent of the 252,369 people who registered for the vaccine through the health department.

SEE ALSO: Fairfax Health Director Answers Vaccine Questions In Town Hall

Additional pharmacies will offer the vaccine in Virginia through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership. Dr. Danny Avula, the state vaccine coordinator, told reporters last week additional pharmacy providers will include Walgreens, Walmart, Safeway, Giant, Food Lion, Martin's, Kroger and a network of independent pharmacies. These pharmacies will split a 26,000 weekly allocation from the federal government; CVS is already offering vaccinations in Virginia for the 65 and older age group with a 26,000 weekly allocation. Safeway opened vaccine appointments to people 65 and older at select locations in Arlington, Falls Church and McLean.