Arlington's Mass Vaccination Clinic Called 'Fast' And 'Efficient'

ARLINGTON, VA — Arlington County held its first mass vaccination clinic for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday at the new Lubber Run Community Center, where nearly 1,500 residents received the single-dose vaccine.

The county had dozens of employees and volunteers at the site directing people who had an appointment where to get the vaccine. Once inside the community center, residents were met by workers who instructed them where to wait in line.

“It was fast. It was efficient,” Arlington resident Barrett Weiser told Patch. “People were very friendly and attentive.”

Weiser, 64, received an email from Arlington County Public Health indicating he had registered for the COVID-19 vaccine and that he could accept the invitation to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Saturday at the Lubber Run Community Center.

Weiser said he did not have any reservations about getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and that his intention was to take advantage of the first opportunity to get vaccinated. Last week, Arlington started offering vaccinations to people aged 16-64 who have underlying medical conditions.

Weiser said if residents have a choice of the three vaccines, he respects their opinion if they choose not to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “If they don’t have a choice, I would encourage them to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” he said.

Initially, the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being rolled out in mass vaccination events in Virginia to work through local health department wait lists. The state based the initial allocation on which health systems and health departments indicated they can do mass vaccination events.

The first allocations of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Northern Virginia were 1,500 for Arlington’s Saturday event, 4,000 for Inova Fairfax, 1,000 for Prince William County, 1,400 for Alexandria and 1,500 for Loudoun County.

Last week, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan caused controversy when he declined an initial allocation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

"Johnson & Johnson is a very good vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer are the best,” Duggan said at a news conference Thursday. “And I am going to do everything I can to make sure the residents of the city of Detroit get the best.”

Speaking on CNN Sunday morning, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer touted the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. When asked what she would say to a Detroit resident, Whitmer said that she would urge them to take whatever vaccine was available when eligible.

All three vaccines prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines have efficacies of 95 percent and 94.5 percent, respectively, at preventing moderate to severe disease. Johnson & Johnson has an efficacy rate of 72 percent in the U.S.

Arlington County Board Chairman Matt de Ferranti, who visited the mass vaccination clinic Saturday afternoon, told Patch that the county will not be turning down any Johnson & Johnson vaccines when additional supplies become available.

The county was eager to start getting doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine so that it could ramp up the number of vaccinations, said Cara O'Donnell, spokesperson for Arlington County Public Health.

County officials also wanted to see how the Lubber Run Community Center, on N. Park Drive near the intersection with N. George Mason Drive — which has not officially opened to the public due to the pandemic — operates as a potential future site for mass vaccinations.

“The site has good flow,” O’Donnell said about the community center.

De Ferranti emphasized that the county’s public health employees “have been working really hard.” On Saturday, he visited the community center to see how the clinic was going and to support the county staff and volunteers.

The chairman said he also takes photos when he visits vaccination clinic sites and then posts them on social media. “People need hope,” he told Patch about the photos he posts. “They’re okay with waiting, but they want to feel as though we’re getting to people. Thank goodness we are.”

The number of doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines — shipments that typically arrive on Mondays — is expected to increase this week, he said.

O'Donnell said the county used 1,485 of the 1,500 doses it received at Saturday's vaccination event. The last few remaining doses will be added to the county's supply for this week.

Weiser was pleased with how the vaccination process went on Saturday. “I couldn’t be happier,” he said after leaving the community center. “I’m looking forward to when my wife gets hers.”

Arlington County residents who have not already done so can pre-register for the vaccine on the Vaccinate Virginia website, or at 1-800-VAX-in-VA. Pre-registration allows the county to provide notification to eligible individuals to make vaccination appointments as supply becomes available.