Coordinated vaccination push to take place Tuesday, May 18

Governor Ralph Northam reminded Virginians about the “It’s Our Shot, Virginia: Statewide Day of Action” taking place today, Tuesday, May 18 to help Virginia residents make a plan to get vaccinated. Virginians are encouraged to get involved in their communities by serving as trusted messengers and amplifying the Commonwealth’s vaccination efforts. 

 “I’m proud of Virginia’s vaccination progress, which has helped slow the spread of COVID-19 in our Commonwealth to its lowest level in over a year,” said Governor Northam. “Putting this pandemic behind us once and for all requires everyone doing their part—that means making sure you are informed, getting your free COVID-19 vaccine, and helping your friends, family members, and neighbors make a plan to get vaccinated.” To participate in the It’s Our Shot, Virginia: Statewide Day of Action, Virginians are invited to:

• Get your shot and help others make a plan to get vaccinated. Getting a shot has never been easier—vaccines are readily available at many supermarket pharmacies, hospitals, doctor’s offices, local health department clinics, and state run Community Vaccination Centers. To find a vaccine provider near you, visit vaccinate.virginia.gov, call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682), or text your zip code to GETVAX (428829). Call center representatives are available to from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. All Virginia residents ages 12 and over are eligible to get vaccinated.

• Share your vaccination story on social media. Add a Facebook profile photo frame, upload a backdrop to your next virtual meeting, and record a short 30-60 second video highlighting why you chose to get vaccinated using the hashtag #VaccinateVirginia. 

• Become a COVID Community Ambassador. Ambassador will help share COVID-19 updates and materials from top experts and sources with their networks and in their local community. Sign up to become a COVID Community Ambassador here.

• Fight misinformation. Do you want to get the facts and counter common vaccine myths? Do you want to better understand COVID-19 vaccines, how they are made, and why they work? Do you need help talking to your employees, loved ones, or family members about the vaccines? Even if you aren’t a COVID Community Ambassador, you can still share important information with your community by visiting the resource library and downloading the mythbusters toolkit here.

 Virginians also are encouraged to visit any of the Commonwealth’s Community Vaccination Centers (CVCs) between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. to get vaccinated. CVCs will offer both Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and all sites are now taking walk-ups, so no appointment is required. Here is the local CVC within Prince William County:

• Prince William County: former Gander Mountain, 14041 Worth Avenue, Woodbridge, Virginia 22192

 Since March, the Commonwealth has deployed Educate Vaccinate organizers to provide culturally-competent vaccination information and ensure equitable, easy access to vaccines in many communities hit hard by the pandemic. Educate Vaccinate organizers are on the ground in the cities of Richmond, Hampton, Roanoke, and Danville, and Prince William County, Henrico County, Nottoway County, Buckingham County, Prince Edward County, Bland County, and Wythe County. If you are interested in joining the Educate Vaccinate team, apply online here or email employment@educatevaccinate.com to learn more about paid opportunities to serve your community. Virginia has administered over 7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. More than 4 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, representing over 63 percent of Virginia’s adult population. Governor Northam remains confident the Commonwealth will meet President Biden’s goal of having 70 percent of adults vaccinated with at least one dose by July 4. Additional information about COVID-19 vaccinations in Virginia is available here.