(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) Fairfax County, Falls Church City, and Fairfax City residents who work in grocery stores, manufacturing, and the food and agriculture sectors can now register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, starting today (Wednesday).

The Fairfax County Health Department announced this morning that it is expanding eligibility for the vaccine to the next three groups of essential frontline workers included in phase 1b, as defined by the Virginia Department of Health.

“We are opening these categories because our vaccine supply will be increasing over the next few weeks and we will be able to move through our current waitlist at a faster pace,” the health department said in its blog post.

This is the first time that the Fairfax Health District has expanded vaccine eligibility since Jan. 18, when appointments opened up to people 65 and older as well as younger people with medical conditions that put them at high risk of severe illness if they contract the novel coronavirus.

Virginia has been in phase 1b of its COVID-19 vaccination campaign since Jan. 11, but because of the limited availability of the vaccines, Fairfax County had restricted registration based on employment to the top three priority groups: police, fire, and hazmat workers; corrections and homeless shelter workers; and childcare and school teachers and staff.

The pace of vaccinations in Fairfax County has accelerated over the past couple of weeks as the health department has started receiving more doses.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay says the county got more than 43,000 doses this week — a jump up from the 31,590 doses that came in last week, which was itself a significant increase from 19,220 doses in the week before that.

“We have been able to make significant strides in getting through our waiting list,” McKay said in a statement to Tysons Reporter. “Thanks to our Health Department’s efforts to work with our partners, like community groups, private practices, and the opening of a mass vaccination site with Inova, we will continue to prioritize getting shots in arms and vaccinating folks quickly and efficiently.”

This latest phase 1b group focuses on individuals who work in the food, agriculture, and manufacturing industries, including grocery and convenience store workers, food pantry and distribution site workers, veterinarians, and butcher and slaughterhouse workers.

It does not include workers at restaurants and other food and beverage service establishments, who are instead included in phase 1c.

The Fairfax County Health Department notes that newly eligible individuals should be prepared to show “some form of work-related identification or paystub,” since some of the county’s partner vaccine providers require proof of identity.

The Virginia Department of Health announced yesterday that some localities are ready to transition to phase 1c starting this week.

The Fairfax Health District still has five categories of 1b workers — transit workers, mail carriers, government officials, janitors and other cleaning staff, and clergy and faith leaders — who are not yet able to register for appointments.

However, the county health department says it expects to reach phase 1c by mid-April, and by May 1, it plans to open eligibility to phase 2, which will enable anyone over age 16 who lives or works in Virginia to register for a vaccine appointment.

Photo via Fairfax County Health Department

More than 100 private health care providers in Fairfax County are currently going through the steps to be able to provide COVID-19 vaccines to the public soon, county officials tell Reston Now and Tysons Reporter.

This includes private practices, clinics, and urgent care centers.

The county announced late last week that “a small number of private health care providers” would begin offering vaccinations to their patients in the coming weeks.

“The process to become approved to administer COVID-19 vaccine requires several steps,” a county health department spokesperson said. “That starts with filing an intent form with [the Virginia Department of Health], completing a CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Agreement and completing the Fairfax County Health Department’s compliance check.”

Of those 100-plus private health care providers, approximately 35 are in the process of completing the Fairfax County Health Department’s compliance check. The timeline for completion differs for each provider, the spokesperson notes.

A “handful” of private providers have completed all of the steps and can now offer the COVID-19 vaccine to their patients. Health department officials declined to provide an exact number or the names of the providers.

Providers won’t be able to choose a specific COVID-19 vaccine to offer to their patients, since vaccine availability is dependent on what the county receives from the Commonwealth.

“We know many residents in our community will be excited to hear that their own health care providers may soon offer vaccine,” Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu wrote in the health department’s blog post. “However, we do encourage residents to be patient while more practices meet the state requirements. Once a provider is able to offer vaccine, they will notify their patients directly.”

The county is also asking residents who have registered with the county health department to remove themselves from the waitlist if they do receive the vaccine from a private provider instead.

In recent weeks, Fairfax County has begun to diversify where residents are able to get their COVID-19 vaccine.

This includes retail pharmacies, including CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, and Harris Teeter. Giant is directly partnering with the county to vaccinate off the health department’s waitlist. However, appointments still remain scarce at the retail pharmacies.

In general, vaccinations in the county are moving at a faster pace than last month.

But the county is still struggling to catch up to demand after being the only jurisdiction to opt out of Virginia’s appointment system. As of 3 p.m. today, 104,000 people were on the waitlist of the 326,000 people who had registered.

So far, the county has administered close to 267,000 doses, about half of them delivered by the health department. 207,499 county residents have gotten at least one dose, and 117,678 people have been fully vaccinated, according to the VDH dashboard.

Appointments are currently being scheduled for those who signed up on January 28 or earlier.

Photo by Karen Bolt/Fairfax County Public Schools

Thousands of people in Fairfax County are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but with many of them struggling to get appointments, the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations has stepped up to help.

The federation has started a “Neighborhood COVID-19 Navigators” project to encourage local homeowners’, civic, and community organizations to assist people who are facing challenges in getting a vaccine appointment, from technological or transportation issues to general confusion about the process.

“The Federation believes that its member citizens associations are in a good position to address this gap by providing neighbor-to-neighbor help to those who may be struggling to get vaccination appointments because of technical challenges or because they have limited transportation to vaccination sites,” Fairfax County Federation President William Barfield said in a letter to members.

The Fairfax County Health Department has been working with nonprofits, faith-based groups, and other community organizations since January on a word-of-mouth outreach program to share information about the COVID-19 vaccine campaign.

The county is providing options for people who need transportation to get to a vaccine appointment, including free rides through taxi companies and subsidized taxi vouchers for older adults, people with limited incomes, and individuals with disabilities. Several community organizations, such as the local Shepherd’s Centers, are also offering volunteer transportation to older adults.

However, the county government does not have a systematic way of identifying who needs help without the individual coming forward first, which might not happen if they don’t know where to turn for information.

Fairfax County Federation human services committee co-chair Doug Birnie realized that neighborhood groups could provide that connection between residents and the county. He brought up the idea to his committee co-chair, Mike Perel, and the Neighborhood COVID-19 Navigators initiative was born.

“Neighbors can connect neighbors with the primary County Health Department numbers on our flyer and, where necessary, offer a helping hand in negotiating the vaccination process including offering rides and personal assistance in navigating vaccination sites,” Birnie, Perel, and Barfield said in a joint statement to Tysons Reporter. “A trusted helping hand in difficult times is a valued and effective means for achieving successful outcomes.”

Along with the letter, Barfield sent out a flier with several points of contact at the Fairfax County Health Department so residents can pass along that information to neighbors who are struggling to register for a vaccine.

The flier directs people with questions or in need of transportation assistance to call the Fairfax County Health Department call center at 703-324-7404. They can also email [email protected].

County residents who are eligible to get vaccinated can register for an appointment through the call center or the health department’s website.

Image via Fairfax County Federation of Citizens Associations

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Monday (March 15)

• Honoring Women Warriors (Online) — 7-8:30 p.m. — In celebration of March as Women’s History Month, the Fairfax County Commission for Women is hosting a virtual event to highlight the work of women who have helped lead the county’s pandemic response, including Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu. The forum will stream on Facebook Live, and comments can be submitted before and during the event.

Tuesday (March 16)

• Mystery Book Club (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The mystery book group will be discussing The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey. New members are welcomed. Copies are available for curbside pickup at the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library. Register for the Zoom link for the book club.
• Bollywood Dance Fitness (Online) — 6-7 p.m. — Join fitness instructor Aparna Rao in a Bollywood dance fitness class. The class is virtual and free to join. No experience necessary. Register one day in advance to receive the Zoom link. This class is for adults.

Thursday (Mar. 18)

• Vienna Metro Station Improvements Meeting (Online) — 7-8:30 p.m. — Fairfax County and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will host a meeting to present the ideas to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety and accessibility to the Vienna Metro stations. Some proposed improvements include shared-use paths, sidewalks, and two-way cycle tracks according to the project’s website. To join the live webinar register on the VDOT website.
• “We’ve Got Issues” Teen Forum (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — While it’s hard to see each other in person, join fellow teens virtually to talk about topics like stereotypes, relationships, and more. Program kits are available while supplies last at your local Fairfax County regional library. Register online by Tuesday (March 16) to get the Zoom link.
• Let’s Talk: Human Trafficking in the Age of COVID (Online) — 7:30 p.m. — The McLean-based nonprofit Anti-Trafficking International is hosting a discussion on how the pandemic has heightened the risk of trafficking, especially for young people. The talk will be led by ATI founder and Department of Justice Director of Human Trafficking Programs Bill Woolf. Contact [email protected] for more information on the webinar.

 Friday (Mar. 19)

• Virtual Glow Party (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — McLean Community Center is hosting a free virtual dance party. Join online and request your favorite songs. The night will include music, games and other surprises! Open to all ages.

Saturday (Mar. 20)

• Fairfax County Teen Job Fair (Online) — 11-2 p.m. — Fairfax County will host its annual teen job fair this Saturday. Normally spread across multiple high schools, this year’s fair will take place online over two days due to the pandemic. This is the second of the two-day event. The fair is open to all teens in Fairfax County looking for work, volunteer, and internship opportunities. Businesses and organizations can register for free “booth space” to advertise their available positions. Teens must register online to get a link for the event.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Information Session (Online) — 2-4 p.m. — McLean Community Center instructor Quentin Levin will teach a class on how to register to get the COVID-19 vaccine for those who are eligible. The class has no affiliation with any vaccine providers. The class will focus on navigating technical issues but does not guarantee an appointment. Check the McLean Community Center website for more registration and to register for this class.
• Vienna Photo Show — 10 a.m. at Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street) — The Vienna Photo Show will be open Mar. 20 through Apr. 17. The exhibit will be open for visitors during business hours, except between 12 and 1 p.m. every day, when it will be closed for cleaning. Ribbons for various categories will be awarded.

More than 115,000 Fairfax County residents have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the latest state data indicates.

The Virginia Department of Health reported today (Monday) that Fairfax County has administered a total of 312,706 vaccine doses to 203,015 people, 115,506 of whom have gotten both required doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The county surpassed the milestone of 100,000 completed vaccinations over the past week, as officials anticipate the availability of supply to continue increasing. The Fairfax County Health Department received 31,590 doses of vaccine from the state between March 8 and 14, a sizable uptick from the 19,220 doses that came in the week before.

Even as vaccinations pick up, county leaders and health officials urge the community to remain vigilant and keep adhering to COVID-19 health protocols.

With another 115 cases reported today, the Fairfax Health District has recorded 69,628 COVID-19 cases, 3,653 hospitalizations, and 1,057 deaths. The seven-day average currently sits at 134 new cases per day, though the rate has been trending steadily downward since peaking at nearly 700 cases on Jan. 17.

“The path forward isn’t simple,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in his most recent newsletter on Friday (March 12). “We still see about 140 new cases a day and I urge you to continue to wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands. What’s next won’t be easy, but there is a way forward.”

The hope promised by an accelerating vaccination effort was dampened this weekend as Virginia’s COVID-19 death toll exceeded 10,000 fatalities on Sunday (March 14), which was also the one-year anniversary of the state’s first recorded death caused by the novel coronavirus.

To mark the occasion, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered all Virginia flags to be lowered to half-mast from sunrise to sunset yesterday. As a tribute to the pandemic’s victims, the governor’s mansion in Richmond is being illuminated in amber light until March 21 — the day Fairfax County reported its first COVID-19 death.

At the same time, Northam has set ambitious targets for the Commonwealth’s vaccination campaign, pledging to not only meet President Joe Biden’s goal of opening eligibility to all adults by May 1, but also, “to celebrate independence from this virus on July 4.”

“We can do this in Virginia if we all continue following public health guidelines and get vaccinated,” Northam said. “This is how we will come together, face down this dark period, and emerge stronger than ever.”

Images via CDC on Unsplash, Virginia Department of Health

The COVID-19 vaccination process has been ramping up in Fairfax County in recent weeks, as supplies increase and more partners come on board to help administer the vaccines.

While eligibility for the vaccine has not expanded since mid-January, Fairfax County’s allocation of vaccine has grown over the past month or so from 13,000 to 19,220 first doses per week, and the size of shipments are expected to continue increasing throughout March, allowing the county health department to get through its existing waitlist more quickly.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday (Thursday), more than 111,000 people were waiting for appointments to get vaccinated. A total of 307,659 people have registered through the Fairfax County Health Department, which administered 21,791 first doses during the week of March 1-7.

The authorization of a third vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson helps increase supply, giving providers another option on top of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that have been available since December, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.

Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which both require two shots separated by three or four weeks, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine needs only one dose. It is also easier to store and seems to less apt to trigger strong side effects.

The J&J vaccine is slightly less effective at guarding against severe disease caused by COVID-19, with an 85% efficacy rate compared to 95% and 94.1% for Pfizer and Moderna, respectively. However, differences in how clinical trials were conducted make comparisons inexact, and all three are considered “extremely effective at preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death,” FCHD says.

Fairfax County currently doesn’t offer a choice between the vaccines, since the health department has been primarily utilizing Pfizer for first doses. The county has been sending its J&J allocation to Inova, which expects to double its capacity later this month with the launch of a new mass vaccination center in Alexandria.

The FCHD says it anticipates getting more of the J&J vaccine by the end of March, though the number of doses is unknown at this time. For now, officials say people should take whichever vaccine becomes available to them.

If you were given a choice, though, which would you prefer? Would you want to get the process over with in one shot, or do you have more confidence in the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines?

Photo via Fairfax County Health Department/Twitter

(Updated at 11:05 a.m. on 3/12/2021) Fairfax County has received 3,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine so far, but the county health department opted to send that initial allotment to local Inova hospitals, the Virginia Department of Health says.

The county’s allotment comes from the Commonwealth’s current supply of 69,000 doses that it received from the federal government last week.

Fairfax County Health Department spokesperson Jeremy Lasich confirmed to Reston Now, Tysons Reporter’s affiliate site, that the county sent its J&J vaccine doses to Inova, because the county currently only has the capacity to give out a certain amount of doses. As supply picks up, the county will rely more on partners like Inova.

The hospital system is planning to use this supply for a vaccination clinic for residents 75 and over, Lasich says.

Nearly 110,00 Fairfax County residents remain on the waitlist for a vaccine appointment, though the pace of vaccinations has been picking up, according to the county’s dashboard, which indicates that residents who registered on Jan. 22 are now able to make appointments.

The county did say they expect to receive a fresh supply of J&J vaccine doses by the end of March. It’s unknown at this time exactly how many doses, Lasich says.

Additionally, a number of pharmacies in Fairfax County received the J&J vaccine through the federal partnership program, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed to Reston Now.

The health department for nearby Arlington County opted to allocate 1,500 doses of the J&J vaccine for a mass vaccination event this past weekend.

D.C. got doses of the J&J vaccine that were used at high-capacity vaccination sites last week. The city is also asking residents which of the three available vaccines they’d prefer when they pre-register. A city official said on Twitter that it’s for data collection to understand demand.

However, Fairfax County is not asking this question or providing a vaccine option because it is “primarily using Pfizer for first-dose appointments right now.”

Lasich says this is a change from earlier in the year, when the county health department was primarily using Moderna. Exactly which vaccine is used depends on the amount of doses received, he notes.

There’s evidence that some prefer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one-shot, rather than the two shots needed for both Pfizer’s and Moderna. This could potentially simplify and quicken the pace of vaccination.

In addition to lowering the commitment from patients, the J&J vaccine is easier to store, and it appears that recipients have been less prone to severe side effects.

One potential drawback to the J&J vaccine is that trials have shown that it is less effective than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at preventing illness, though it still has an 85% efficacy against severe forms of COVID-19 and 100% efficacy against hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

Even though that means it still offers strong protection, health officials are putting a lot of effort in convincing people that the J&J vaccine is not the “inferior” vaccine.

VDH says it expects the J&J vaccine to make up close to 20% of the state’s supply in April, increasing to about 30% in May.

In Fairfax County, conversations are ongoing about giving registrants the option to choose which vaccine they will receive, but it will all depend on supply availability.

“The best vaccine is the one available to you at the appointment,” says Lasich.

In Fairfax County, though, that isn’t yet the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

This article has been updated to further clarify that Fairfax County did receive an initial allotment of J&J doses but allocated them to Inova, which is a partner of the county.

Photo via Fairfax County Health Department

Fairfax County’s COVID-19 inoculation efforts are about to get a major boost in the form of a new mass vaccination site that’s expected to open by the end of March.

The county is collaborating with the City of Alexandria and Inova Health Systems to convert Alexandria’s Victory Center (5001 Eisenhower Avenue) into a mass vaccination center that could accommodate thousands of people looking to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

At a press conference yesterday (Tuesday), Inova President and CEO Dr. Stephen Jones said that, depending on the availability of supplies, the planned facility could enable the healthcare system to dispense 6,000 vaccine doses per day, doubling its current rate of roughly 3,000 doses a day.

“I feel a responsibility to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” Jones said.

Once it opens, the vaccination center will serve residents of Alexandria and Fairfax County. Eligible individuals must pre-register to get in line for an appointment either through the Fairfax County Health Department or, for non-county residents, the state registration system.

According to its website, Inova is currently assisting Fairfax County with eligible adults between the ages of 65 and 74, but it has also served essential workers, including Fairfax County Public Schools teachers.

While the pace of vaccinations continues to be limited by supply availability, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay says the addition of the Victory Center as a vaccination site will ensure the county and Inova can keep up as more vaccines start to come in.

According to the county’s vaccine data dashboard, Fairfax County’s latest shipment from the Virginia Department of Health included 19,220 doses for the week of March 1-7, a step up from the 13,000 doses that the county was typically getting just a few weeks ago.

As of 5:30 p.m. yesterday, there were more than 106,000 people on the FCHD waitlist. 298,332 people have registered to get a COVID-19 vaccine through the county health department, which has allocated 217,476 doses either by administering them itself or distributing them to partners like Inova.

“We were told by the [state] to expect a major increase in doses in the coming weeks,” McKay said. “We want to have the infrastructure to take care of those doses. We can’t control the dosage, but what is in our control is capacity.”

Inova chose the Victory Center in Alexandria for its mass vaccine clinic because of the building’s size and proximity to local transit facilities, including the Van Dorn Street Metro station.

The accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine has been a top concern for Fairfax County in recent weeks, as health officials say the populations most affected by the pandemic have faced more challenges in getting vaccinated, often due to vaccine hesitancy or limited access to transportation, internet, and other services.

The county has been working to expand its partnerships with other localities, healthcare providers, and community organizations to reach different communities, though the process has not been entirely conflict-free.

McKay encourages everyone who is eligible to get the vaccine to take advantage of any chance to do so.

“This is an act of necessary charity,” McKay said. “It’s not about us, but about every person we interact with, like grocery store workers, transit workers, your children and their teachers…This gives us a convenient opportunity to do the right thing.”

Vernon Miles contributed to this report.

Route 7 Construction Leads to Gas Leak — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units were dispatched to the 9100 block of Leesburg Pike yesterday afternoon (Monday) when workers “struck a large gas line,” resulting in an outside gas leak. A building at that address was vacant, and the incident did not affect traffic. [FCFRD/Twitter]

McLean Resident Helps Neighbors Get COVID-19 Vaccine — “Over the past week and a half, [Katja] Hom has helped more than 30 people get vaccination appointments at Safeways in McLean, Arlington, Vienna and other parts of Northern Virginia.” [Patch]

Virginia Tech to End Therapy Program at Falls Church Campus — “The master’s program in marriage and family therapy (MFT) will end in August 2023, the university told the Washington Business Journal. The program’s clinic, at 7054 Haycock Road, which provides low-cost mental health services to low-income residents and training opportunities for students, will also shut down.” [Washington Business Journal]

Fairfax County Police Hit With Civil Rights Violation Lawsuit — “A Black man who was Tasered and punched by a White Fairfax County police officer without apparent provocation in 2020 filed a federal lawsuit Monday claiming his civil rights were violated, he was subject to excessive force, and he was falsely arrested.” [The Washington Post]

ViVa Vienna Organizers Hopeful for Memorial Day Weekend Event — Organizers of the Town of Vienna’s annual ViVa Vienna festival hope to hold the event on Memorial Day weekend as usual, after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam raised the attendance limit on outdoor amusements from 250 to 1,000 people. The festival will likely still operate a little differently to accommodate social distancing protocols. The town will determine a date on Apr. 5. [Sun Gazette]

Fairfax County Board Chair Praises New Federal COVID-19 Relief Package — “Glad to see that the Senate support Americans through @POTUS’s American Rescue Plan. With the $350B to state/local govs, we can continue to provide the assistance our residents need.” [@JeffreyCMcKay/Twitter]

Staff photo by Jay Westcott

Thanks to federal and state partnerships, some local retail locations of CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, and Harris Teeter are offering no-cost vaccine appointments separate from Fairfax County.

However, with demand far exceeding supply, appointments remain extremely hard to come by, even as the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine begins to roll out.

Virginia is currently in Phase 1b, meaning those 65 or over and those with 16 to 64 with underlying medical conditions are eligible to receive the vaccine.

The Virginia Health Department tells Reston Now, Tysons Reporter’s affiliate site, that more than 80,000 doses are being given to retail pharmacies statewide for distribution, an increase from last month.

The 69,000 J&J vaccine doses announced last week started coming in yesterday (Mar. 4), VDH confirms, and clinics across the state are expecting to start using it today (Friday).

VDH also says that they’ve directed retail pharmacies to “prioritize” those 65 and over to “make significant progress in vaccinating that vulnerable population.” All of this provides hope that more vaccines and more appointments will soon become available for those that are eligible.

Early last month, CVS began offering vaccine appointments at local stores. Currently, it is providing the vaccine through 41 pharmacies in Virginia with appointments booked through their website, but that includes only one location in Fairfax County.

CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault says there are roughly 41,580 appointments per week available at the 41 locations statewide, meaning each store has about 1,000 appointments per week. Most of them are using the Moderna vaccine.

However, as of today, all appointments have been booked at the one Fairfax location.

“In most (if not all) states, the number of individuals who are eligible to receive the vaccine under the state’s rules far outnumber the state’s available doses,” Thibault said.

Currently, more than 100,000 people are on the Fairfax County Health Department’s waitlist. As of Mar. 4, close to 150,000 people in Fairfax County have gotten at least one vaccine dose, and 87,401 people have been fully vaccinated, according to the VDH data dashboard.

Thibault confirmed that CVS is receiving a “one-time allocation” of 212,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week that will be sent to stores in 17 states. Scheduling for that began yesterday (Mar. 4) on the CVS website, with vaccinations starting today (March 5).

She says CVS has the capacity to administer 20 to 25 million doses a month nationwide, assuming there’s an adequate amount of not only the vaccine, but also other supplies.

Other retail pharmacies offering vaccines in Fairfax County face similar challenges.

Safeway and its parent company Albertsons are offering appointments to those 65 and over. According to their online scheduler, the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is now being offered.

Locations in the county include one on Elden Street in Herndon, South Lakes Drive in Reston, Georgetown Pike in Great Falls, and West Ox Road in Fairfax.

So far, no appointments are currently available at least through March 13 at any locations.

“Store supply is based on allocations from state and local health departments. New appointments are added to the online scheduler as more vaccine become available,” Albertsons spokesperson Andrew Whelan told Reston Now. “Demand is high and appointments are often claimed very quickly. As dose allocations increase, so too will the opportunity to secure an appointment.”

Walgreens joined the federal partnership on Feb. 24 and has started administering vaccines in Virginia. But, right now, there are no appointments available within 25 miles of Tysons, Reston, or Fairfax.

Harris Teeter’s website says limited quantities of vaccine would be available at select locations in Virginia starting on Mar. 1, but a company spokesperson told Reston Now that this hasn’t happened yet.

“Harris Teeter is expected to receive limited quantities of the vaccines soon at nine pharmacies in and around Northern Virginia…Appointments will be released as vaccine allocations arrive,” the spokesperson wrote.

Giant has taken another approach. Instead of creating its own appointment system, the grocery chain is using the vaccine supply allocated to them by the federal government to help the Fairfax County Health Department vaccinate their waitlist.

“People invited from the queue will be able to select from several Giant locations within the Fairfax Health District,” the health department said on its blog. “Locations and details will be included in the appointment scheduler email.”

Photo via Fairfax County Health Department