Fairfax County Begins Phase 2 of Vaccine Rollout

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Beginning Sunday, April 18, people in the Fairfax County Health District ages 16 and older will be able to get the Covid-19 Vaccine as Fairfax County moves into Phase 2 of the vaccine roll-out.

However, this shift into phase two comes with major changes in the registration process for vaccines. People can only register through the Fairfax County website until 11:59 on April 17, but starting on April 18 people have to use VaccineFinder.org in order to register. This database displays available doses across the county and allows people to pick a provider, meaning whether or not the person wants to get the vaccine at a pharmacy, hospital, or private practice. 

These Phase 2 registrations are more flexible, because Fairfax is no longer required to prioritize residents with only the local health departments as the primary vaccine centers.

Those who were eligible in Phase 1 but have yet to be vaccinated, can still be vaccinated, but they do have to use the new registration method in order to get on the waitlist. Those who registered through the old method before April 18 will still be on the waitlist and do not have to re-register. 

To register for the vaccine in Phase 2, people have to go to the VaccineFinder website. They then must enter their zip code and select a search radius. Available appointments will then be listed for them. In the next few weeks, this will mainly be community providers and pharmacies, but soon appointments in clinics managed by the Fairfax County Health Department will begin to be listed on the website.

Be prepared for possible delays, as the sudden surge of appointments and registrations will far surpass the vaccine supply that has already been fluctuating in Fairfax County. It may result in delays for the new Phase 2 people to get their vaccines, because supply is already low while the County is in Phase 1. However, no matter what, starting April 18, all those 16 and older can get the vaccine, no matter how long it takes.