Local health district shuts down mass vaccine site – Rappahannock News

Health professionals and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers at the Germanna site administered close to 51,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, according to Dr. Colin Greene, interim health director for the RRHD. That’s close to a third of all the vaccines administered in the health district. In a press release issued on Monday, Greene said the Germanna site hasn’t been “seeing the numbers we once did” as demand for vaccines has declined in recent months. “This does not mean that we no longer need to vaccinate our community,” Greene added. “We will be taking vaccine to where our residents live, work, play and pray.” 

The shift in strategy comes as Virginia — but not Rappahannock — achieved Biden’s Fourth of July goal of having 70 percent of adults over the age of 18 fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. “We are deeply grateful to all those who have been vaccinated and to the vaccinators helping Virginia reach and surpass this milestone,” said State Health Commissioner Norman Oliver during the announcement earlier this week. “There are still Virginians we need to reach and our efforts to make vaccination as accessible and as convenient as possible will continue. Those who have yet to get the vaccine are encouraged to do so to protect themselves and to keep others safe, particularly children under 12, people with weakened immune systems, or individuals who cannot be vaccinated for other reasons.”

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported on Monday that nearly 85 percent of those over 65 have received at least one dose of vaccine, but only about 60 percent of those over 18 have received the same. In Rappahannock County, roughly 63 percent of residents have received at least one dose.

“Some people are asking, ‘why should I get vaccinated now? The case numbers are going down; it’s summer,’” Greene said. “People are still getting sick, and people are still dying. The cases and deaths across the country are among those that are not vaccinated. In the fall, when everybody gets back together, the virus may pop up, and we have to think about variants. We encourage everyone to get their COVID-19 vaccination.”

Infections have dropped steadily since peak transmission in January, when the state recorded a seven-day moving average of more than 5,900 new cases per day. On Wednesday, the VDH reported 228 new cases in all of Virginia.

“Virginia’s remarkable progress is a testament to the commitment, coordination, and leadership of our local health districts, community-based organizations, faith leaders, National Guard members, and so many others,” said Virginia Vaccination Coordinator Dr. Danny Avula. “While there is still work to do in addressing vaccine hesitancy, I remain confident that we can keep this momentum going and defeat this virus.”

Vaccines continue to be available at grocery stores, pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and health district offices including Rappahannock’s Health Department Office at 338A Gay Street in Washington. The health department offers walk-in appointments on the first and third Fridays of each month from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Anyone 12 and older can search for a vaccine appointment in their zip code at vaccinate.virginia.gov or vaccines.gov.

Residents may walk-in (no appointment necessary) to receive free COVID-19 vaccines on the following dates:

Rappahannock Health Department — First and third Friday, 8-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m., 338A Gay St., Washington

Culpeper Health Department — Second and fourth Friday, 8-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m., 640 Laurel St.

Orange Health Department — Every Wednesday from 8-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m., 450 N. Madison Road, Orange

Madison Health Department — Every Wednesday from 8-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m., 1480 N. Main St. Suite A, Madison

Fauquier Health Department — First and third Friday, 8-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m., 330 Hospital Drive, Warrenton