New COVID vaccination clinic opens today in Tysons

The Fairfax Community Vaccination Center in Tysons Corner Center.

A new large COVID-19 vaccination clinic opens April 20 in the former Lord & Taylor store in the Tysons Corner mall.

“As vaccine supplies allow, this site will vaccinate some 3,000 people per day, which paired with the other sites we have throughout the county, will greatly impact Fairfax’s vaccination rates and move us closer to herd immunity,” said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay. 

Initially, the new Tysons clinic will partner with the Health Department to complete first-dose vaccinations of people eligible under Phase 1 who are on the county’s registration waitlist. 

In the coming weeks, the center will be listed on vaccinefinder.org, which has replaced the Health Department’s vaccination registration system. Everyone age 16 and older can directly schedule an appointment with vaccinefinder. 

The Fairfax CVC will operate Monday through Saturday. Appointments are required; no walk-ins are allowed. 

The Fairfax Community Vaccination Center (CVC) is a joint initiative of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Virginia Department of Health in cooperation with the Fairfax County Health Department and the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management. The site is operated by Ashbritt/IEM, under contract with VDEM.

The clinic is easily accessed from several bus routes and is walkable from the Tysons Corner Metro station on the Silver Line. It is one of several new vaccination sites in Fairfax County aimed at increasing vaccine access to underserved populations.

Vaccine equity

There are dozens of new vaccine equity clinics in Fairfax County, including one in Bailey’s Community Center in Bailey’s Crossroads and several others in Mason District. 

The county is hosting vaccine equity clinics in schools, churches, and apartment complexes in areas hard-hit by COVID and where there are large numbers of vulnerable populations, but is not sharing specific locations, said county spokesperson Hannah Menchhoff. 

“Using staff resources from the Health Department and from the Fire and Rescue Department, the county is deploying mobile vaccine teams for individuals who are homebound and residing in group homes. These efforts have already begun,” Menchhoff said

During the first two weeks of April, the county’s equity clinics received 5,000 vaccine doses a week, up from 3,000 a week the last two weeks of March. 

Related story: Everyone 16 and up can register for a COVID vaccine April 18

“Equity needs to be at the forefront of all decisions we’re making,” McKay said at a virtual meeting on COVID vaccine equity earlier this month hosted by Rowan Tree and Network NOVA. “We’re creating a more resilient and equitable county for the long term.” That’s the goal of the county’s One Fairfax policy.

“It’s not just a public health crisis,” McKay said. Communities most affected by COVID also face challenges with living conditions, transportation, and other issues. “The pandemic shines a spotlight on this.” 

More outreach needed

Paul Berry, chair of the Virginia Latino Advisory Board, listed some barriers among the LatinX community: lack of English proficiency, lack of transportation, and scheduling difficulties among people working two jobs. Other obstacles include lack of internet access and mistrust of the government.

Barika Porter, of Black Women United for Action, asked why the county isn’t doing more to reach out to vulnerable people who haven’t been able to access the vaccine registration system. She asked county leaders to be more proactive with door-to-door canvassing, outreach to faith communities, and recruiting volunteers for these efforts.  

“We welcome volunteers,” McKay said, noting that churches are often the most trusted resource in the community, so they can play a key role in outreach. “What we learned is the government is not always the best deliverer of information.” 

He also acknowledged the county needs to improve its efforts translating COVID information in multiple languages and having interpreters at vaccination sites. 

Karla Bruce, the county’s chief equity officer, said houses of worship have helped their members get COVID tests and are now working to help people get vaccinated. She suggested faith communities who want to join this effort contact Ramona Carroll, the county’s interfaith coordinator.