[Archived] City of Alexandria Provides COVID-19 Updates; Vaccine Scheduling Update; Weekly Vaccine Updates; COVID-19 Vaccination Partner Use of Health Insurance

­­For Immediate Release: April 16, 2021

The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) strongly urge residents to stay home as much as possible, wear a mask over both your nose and mouth, and wash your hands frequently. Pre-register to receive the vaccine and you’ll be notified once appointments are available. AHD estimates that approximately 1 in 20 Alexandrians who have tested positive for COVID-19 have required hospitalization, so without these critical steps, additional lives may be at risk. 

Vaccine Scheduling Update

Everyone eligible in Phase 1a, 1b, or 1c, who pre-registered prior to April 10, should have received an invitation to schedule a vaccine appointment. If you have not received an invitation to schedule, first check your spam folder. Please complete this form if you have not been contacted. Provide the exact name and email address, or phone number, used to pre-register and your date of birth.

Everyone who pre-registered by February 26 as part of Phase 2, which is any resident ages 16 and up who is not eligible in Phase 1, has been contacted for an appointment. Anyone who does not have email or internet access should contact the Alexandria COVID-19 Hotline weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 703.746.4988.

Weekly Vaccine Updates

During Alexandria Health Department (AHD) vaccine clinics between April 9 and April 15: 1,606 people were partially vaccinated with a first dose and 4,146 people were fully vaccinated with either a second dose of Moderna or Pfizer or with the single required dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine. AHD's vaccinating partners, which include pharmacies and private providers, administered the remainder of Alexandria's vaccine supply this past week. 

Alexandria will receive 8,110 doses for next week, including first and second doses. This does not include additional vaccine supplies from federal programs provided directly to participating pharmacies and Alexandria's federally qualified health center, Neighborhood Health. AHD uses the doses received at their large vaccine events and allocates the rest to private providers. AHD directly schedules appointments, by phone or email, for their vaccine events and the vast majority of private providers in Alexandria from the existing pre-registration list. The other private providers are vaccinating eligible residents based on AHD's guidance. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Partner Use of Health Insurance

The federal government is providing all COVID-19 vaccines free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines what providers are and are not allowed to charge.

COVID-19 vaccination providers cannot:

• Charge you for the vaccine or for the balance of a vaccine bill not paid by insurance
• Charge you directly for any administration fees, copays, or coinsurance
• Deny vaccination to anyone who does not have health insurance coverage, is underinsured, or is out of network
• Charge an office visit or other fee to the recipient if the only service provided is a COVID-19 vaccination
• Require additional services in order for a person to receive a COVID-19 vaccine
  

COVID-19 vaccination providers can:

• Collect a vaccine administration fee from the recipient’s insurance, Medicare, Medicaid
• Seek reimbursement from the federal government for vaccinating an uninsured person
  

If proof of health insurance is requested at the time of vaccination, it should only be used to collect the vaccine administration fee. The vaccine recipient should not be charged or pay any fees associated with receiving the vaccine.

Alexandria COVID-19 Data At-a-Glance

The seven-day moving average chart below shows the number of COVID-19 cases and the daily and cumulative case and fatality counts, and provides detailed information about how preventive measures are impacting Alexandria's response to the pandemic. An interactive version is available at alexandriava.gov/114883. The vaccination chart includes total doses administered across all facilities and the percentage of residents ages 16 and older who have been partially and fully vaccinated, and is available at alexandriava.gov/120654. Detailed data, including data on age, race and ethnicity, are available through links at alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus. 



Continue following measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 even after vaccination. Get tested if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. If you test positive, help loved ones and neighbors by informing your close contacts using “ What to Do If You Get Sick” guidance, which is available in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Farsi or this brief video.