Vaccine season is in full swing this April thanks to more orders of doses by the Biden administration. While your parents and/or grandparents might have already received a dose or two, it’s possible that you still haven’t yet unless you’re an at-risk individual or essential worker. However, Governor Ralph Northam has recently announced that all individuals ages 16 and older in Virginia will be eligible to receive a vaccine starting April 18th as part of Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout.

How Do I Get a Vaccine?

You can pre-register right now on the Virginia statewide website if you have not already done so. An option that likely is more sensible would be to register on the Fairfax County registration website here so that you are guaranteed to be vaccinated inside the county. For that option, there is no pre-registration, as you can only register when you are eligible to receive one. So, on April 18th, you should go to the website and register yourself, as that is the date when everyone will be qualified. As a precaution, you can check the website to see if you already qualify in one of the Phase 1 groups which will allow you to sign up right now.

After you register, you will be contacted by the corresponding health department confirming that you have successfully registered and been put on the list. To schedule an appointment, you will have to check your email frequently to make sure that you don’t miss your chance. When an appointment opens up, the health department will send you an e-mail telling you and allowing you to choose your date, time, and location. You need to act fast, because if you do not see the e-mail and schedule your vaccine in time, then all the spots could be filled already and you’ll have to wait for the next opportunity.

There are also other unconventional methods, such as joining a Vaccine Hunters Facebook Group that will help you find vaccines as soon as they come available wherever, whether it’s at a mass vaccination site, pharmacy, or somewhere else. And if you don’t mind taking a long drive, you can try to find an appointment in Maryland or elsewhere in Virginia where it might be easier to schedule one.