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Moderna and Pfizer Bivalent Booster Approved for Ages 5 and Older (October 2022)

• NEW -- APPROVED FOR CHILDREN: The Bivalent booster is now available for children -- Pfizer-BioNTech for children aged 5-11 years and Moderna for children aged 6-17 years. Both can be given at least two months after completing primary or booster vaccination. Read more here.
  • Available through the Fairfax Health Department through the VAMS system.
  • Possibly available now through doctor's offices and pharmacies. Will be available soon through vaccines.gov and vacunas.gov.
• ADULTS: Make an appointment with Fairfax Health (through the VAMS system) or at vaccines.gov and vacunas.gov.
• Why get the new updated booster?
  • More than 90 percent of COVID-19 cases are currently caused by the highly transmissible BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The new updated booster targets Omicron’s BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, as well as the original COVID-19 strain.
  • Recent data suggest COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness at preventing infection or severe illness wanes over time, especially for certain groups of people, such as people ages 65 years and older and people with immunocompromised conditions. The emergence of COVID-19 variants further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19. 
  • CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages 6 months and older, and boosters for everyone 5 years and older. More from the CDC here.
• Question: I just got a COVID vaccine or booster. When should I get this new updated version?
  Two months after your last dose or booster, according to the FDA (see article here).
• Question: I just had COVID. When should I get this new updated booster?
  From the CDC (website): “If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test. Reinfection is less likely in the weeks to months after infection. However, certain factors, such as personal risk of severe disease, local COVID-19 community level, and the most common COVID-19 variant currently causing illness, could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later."

How to Find the COVID-19 Vaccine and New Updated Booster

• Make an appointment at a grocery store, pharmacy, etc. through vaccines.gov or vacunas.gov.
• Make an appointment or find walk-in clinics with Fairfax Health through the VAMS system.
• Check with your primary care provider or doctor.
• If you speak English as a second language, need an ASL interpreter by video, or have technical needs: Call Virginia Department of Health at (877) 829-4682 (TTY 711).
• ¿Necesitas vacunarte? Entérate cómo conseguir tu vacuna en Vaccinate.Virginia.gov o llamando al 1-877-829-4682 de 8am a 8pm. Traducción disponible en tu idioma. Usuarios de TTY pueden marcar al 7-1-1.

How to Find COVID-19 Tests

• VDH Testing Locator
  Search for testing sites and options through the Virginia Department of Health.
• Your Doctor
  Check with your primary care provider or doctor.
• Urgent Care Centers
  Places such as urgent care centers, community health centers, and community-based clinics across the state evaluate patients who may have COVID-19 and do testing. Most clinics are set up to swab patients for testing on-site and many offer drive-up and walk-up testing options.
• No Insurance and Trying to Find Testing and Care for COVID-19?
  • City residents can also call Housing and Human Services at 703-248-5005, TTY 711 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) to talk with someone about their needs and receive advice on services available to them. Fairfax County residents can call Coordinated Services Planning service at 703-222-0880, TTY 711 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.).

Masks Welcome but Not Required in City Facilities (as of March 2022)

Based on the CDC’s new metrics, the City of Falls Church will no longer require masks for the public or employees in City government facilities, including City Hall, the Community Center, and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Please note:

• Masks and social distancing are welcome for anyone who chooses to do so.
• Stay healthy by:
  • Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Getting tested if you have symptoms.
  • Staying home if you have symptoms and/or a positive test.
  • Wear a mask if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19 .
  • Practice good hygiene by washing hands and covering a cough or sneeze with your elbow.
• Masks may still be required in healthcare, congregant settings, on public transportation, and in private businesses that choose to continue the requirement.

Information and Data

• COVID-19 Newsletter: Previous COVID-19 Update Newsletters (subscribe here)
• Vaccine Data for the Fairfax Health District (which includes the City of Falls Church) and the City of Falls Church and Commonwealth of Virginia
• Case Data in the Fairfax Health District and City of Falls Church and in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Virginia Department of Health information flyers in multiple languages. Topics include "Side Effects after a COVID-19 Vaccine," "How We Know COVID-19 Vaccines Work," and "Vaccine Development: No Steps Were Skipped."

COVID-19 Information and Resources

• Fairfax Health Department website
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions