Bus drivers and mail carriers eligible for COVID vaccinations
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| Gail Zukosky, a school public health nurse, serves as a COVID-19 vaccinator on weekends. [Fairfax County Health Department] |
Two new groups in Phase 1b – transit workers and mail carriers – can now register for COVID-19 vaccinations through the Fairfax County Health Department.
Fairfax County is receiving more vaccine doses, although still not enough to cover all those who are eligible. The county’s Health Department received 43,454 doses for the week of March 15-21. The waiting list is shrinking, but 85,000 people are still in the queue.
The mail carriers group includes people who work for the U.S. Postal Service and private companies, such as Amazon, UPS, and FedEx.
The transit workers group includes bus drivers; people who work in school, employee, and special needs transportation; urban transit system workers; and rideshare workers. It does not include airline workers, such as pilots, flight crews, and ground crews.
People in these groups should be prepared to show a work-related ID or paystub when they show up for their vaccination appointment.
Related story: Grocery workers can now register for the COVID vaccine
The only categories in Phase 1b not yet eligible to make a vaccination appointment are clergy/faith leaders, janitorial/cleaning staff, and officials needed to maintain the continuity of government.
Fairfax County expects to move into Phase 1c (other essential workers) by mid-April and into Phase 2 by May 1. Phase 2 encompasses everyone age 16 and older.
In other COVID news:
Variants in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Health announced that the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351 has been identified in a sample from an adult resident of Northern Virginia who had no history of travel during the exposure period.
The B.1.351 variant, which first emerged in South Africa in late 2020, is associated with increased person-to-person transmission of COVID-19. At this time, there is no evidence that infections with this variant cause more severe disease. To date, the B.1.351 variant has been identified in 20 other U.S. states or jurisdictions.
So far, Virginia has identified a total of 20 cases of the B.1.351 variant and 49 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom.
The available vaccines provide protection against the variants but are not as effective.
Vaccinators needed
The Fairfax County Health Department is hiring approximately 250 vaccinators to handle the increased demand and to replace the school health nurses who have returned to schools.
Eligible applicants include licensed nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and pharmacists. They will work at Health Department vaccination sites, including the Fairfax County Government Center. Candidates must be available on workdays and/or weekends on a flexible schedule. Apply here.
Avoid COVID scams
The Federal Trade Commission urges the public to avoid vaccine-related scams, such as notifications telling people they can pay to get a vaccination or get their names on a waiting list for an appointment. The vaccine is free and there are no out-of-pocket costs.
In another scam, callers try to collect personal information by claiming people were in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID. People have also seen messages selling a new breakthrough treatment or offering financial assistance – but requiring people to submit personal information. Those are fake, too.
State and local agencies will not ask for a Social Security number or immigration status. Healthcare providers may ask for insurance information, but vaccinations are free to everyone whether they have insurance or not.
If you think you have been contacted by a scammer, there are a few places you can contact:
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1-800-HHS-TIPS, tips.hhs.gov.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1-800-CALL-FBI.
- Medicare, 1-800-MEDICARE.
- Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section, 800-552-9963.