We are in high transmission: all employees are mandated to require masks indoors.

Vaccines work. In Virginia, more than 98% of COVID-19 cases, more than 97% of hospitalizations & more than 98% of deaths have been in those not fully vaccinated. Vaccines are safe, effective & free.  Keep Virginia moving – do your part & get your shot!

Booster shots available for Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Moderna. Questions? Call your doctor, call the COVID hotline (540-267-8240), or visit your pharmacy.

COVID-19 Vaccines –

If someone in your household has COVID-19 or tests positive, do not send unvaccinated children to school.

More information and resources are available on our Vaccines for adolescents page.

Children ages 12-17

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for people age 12-17. Only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for this age group.

• Everyone in Virginia age 12 or older is eligible to be vaccinated. Pre-registration is no longer required, and many clinics offer walk-in service in addition to scheduled appointments. Everyone should continue to visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA, and the website now includes a simple address search to help everyone find the most convenient ways to get vaccinated.

Children Ages 5-11

VDH has opened a Community Vaccination Center for all COVID vaccines. Open 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Mon.-Sat. at the old Sears store in Valley View Mall.

• Children aged 5-11 now eligible for smaller-dose Pfizer vaccine. Visit nrvroadtowellness.com for details. Please make only one appointment per child and keep it to prevent from wasting doses.
• Thursday, Nov. 18, 3:30–6:30 p.m., 5-11 year olds Vaccine Clinic, Christiansburg High School, appointment required.
• Friday, Nov. 19, 3–6:30 p.m., 5-11 year olds Vaccine Clinic, Christiansburg Recreation Center, appointment required. Please bring ID and insurance card if you have one.
• Booster shots available for Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Moderna. Questions? Call your doctor, call the COVID hotline (540-267-8240), or visit your pharmacy.
• Visit Vaccine Finder for vaccination sites nearest you.
• Vaccine clinics, events, schedule a COVID vaccine – For flu and COVID-19 (ages 5 & up), appointment only, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You can schedule online.

Regular vaccine clinics

• Thursdays: Christiansburg Farmer’s Market, at the Christiansburg Recreation Center, 3 to 7 p.m.
• Fridays: Giles County Health Dept., 8:30 to 10:50 a.m. – call 540-235-3135 for an appointment
• Fridays: Montgomery County Health Dept., 8:30 to 10:50 a.m. – call 540-585-3300 for an appointment

Booster shots are available for some people who completed their second Pfizer shot at least 6 months ago. People 65 years and older, residents of long-term care settings, and people aged 50-64 with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot. People 18-49 with underlying medical conditions and people 18-64 who are at increased risk for exposure because of their occupation may receive a booster shot.

These booster shots are for Pfizer recipients only. We expect Moderna booster shots to be authorized in the next few weeks after the FDA reviews their data. To my knowledge, Johnson & Johnson has not yet submitted the paperwork for boosters, so that would be later. We do also expect Pfizer authorization for 5-11 year olds in the coming weeks and will work with our schools, pediatricians and pharmacy partners to make the vaccine available and convenient.

What’s New

• Masks will no longer be required by Executive Order 72 for fully vaccinated individuals in most indoor settings. Exceptions will include public transit, health care facilities, and congregate settings. Anyone who is not yet vaccinated is strongly encouraged to wear masks in all settings.

• Employees who work in certain business sectors—including restaurants, retail, fitness, personal care, and entertainment—must continue to wear masks unless fully vaccinated, consistent with CDC guidelines.

• Masks will continue to be required in K-12 settings, given low rates of vaccination among children.

• Businesses will retain the ability to require masks in their establishments if they choose to, and individuals will continue to be permitted to wear masks if they choose to.

Stop the Surge!

• If you are indoors with people you don’t live with, wear a mask, even if you are vaccinated.
• If someone in your household has COVID-19 or tests positive, do not send unvaccinated children to school.
• Get fully vaccinated.

News, Testing, Statistics

• COVID-19 testing is widely available. Please save hospitals for true medical emergencies. Do NOT go there if all you need is a test. See here for local testing sites & here for a searchable test finder. Or call 1-877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682).
• VDH reinstated the Outbreaks by Selected Exposure Settings Dashboard for certain facilities & programs, including camps, schools, colleges & universities.
• 2nd Doses: Please come to one of our vaccine clinics the day you are eligible for the 2nd dose or as soon after as possible if you received the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for your 1st dose. Your eligibility date is written on the vaccine card you receive when you get your 1st dose. For more information, please visit our Vaccine 2nd Dose page

Need proof of your vaccination?

When you get your vaccine, the date of your dose and the type of vaccine you received is also entered into the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS). If you lose your COVID-19 vaccination card or need an additional record of your immunization, please read our directions on How to get proof of your COVID-19 immunization.

Employer Resources

• On-site services for employers: Contact Ashley Briggs: 540-639-9313, abriggs@nrvrc.org.
• New VOSH Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention released by DOLI. Per new guidance, businesses will be responsible for tracking employee vaccination rates.
• We are in high transmission: all employers are mandated to require all employees to mask indoors around others.
• Workshop Registration: New DOLI COVID-19 Regulations, Compliance & Employer Best Practices – Sept. 21, noon.

Seasonal Flu Vaccines
540-267-8240

Walk-in flu clinics, 6 mos. & up, no appt. needed. Please wear a mask!

Influenza Surveillance

Local health departments:

Floyd Co. – 540-745-2142
Giles Co. – 540-235-3135
Montgomery Co. – 540-585-3300
Pulaski Co. – 540-440-2188
Radford City – 540-267-8255

Resources

On-site services for businesses: Contact Ashley Briggs: 540-639-9313, abriggs@nrvrc.org.

To get the vaccine in the New River Health District, which includes Montgomery County, Giles County, Floyd County, Pulaski County, and the City of Radford, there are several options. You may:

• Go to Vaccine Finder and find a vaccine at a pharmacy near you. These vaccines are provided through a federal partnership that is entirely separate from the New River Health District. Please direct questions to the pharmacies’ sites and hotlines.

• Walk in to a vaccine clinic. You may now come to most vaccine clinics without an appointment.

• What Are the Different Vaccines?
• SW Virginia Vaccine Study
• Slow Spread
• Exposed to COVID-19
• Living with Someone with COVID-19
• I&Q What’s the Difference?
• Symptoms

New variants of COVID-19 are here in Virginia:

• These variants spread more easily and may be more serious, even for younger people.
• Keep your game-time celebrations small this year. That’s why we all have to stay committed to stopping the spread this spring.
• In shared spaces, wear a snug-fitting layered mask over your nose and mouth to lower your chances of getting or spreading COVID-19.
• VDH has added the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) to the Variants of Concern (VOC) Dashboard. VDH reports 134 cases of this variant in 4 of Virginia’s 5 health regions since March 2021.