How early should I leave? Trying to cover for morning rush hour traffic. (Reston: lawyers) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

virgo · 03-09-2021, 11:45 AM

I received notice this morning that I could make an appt. to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with Inova at a Fairfax location. The facility seems to be at the old Mobil-Exxon Company location (Innovation Park Drive). My appt. is for tomorrow, the 10th, at 8:45 a.m., but I should be inside the building at 8:30 a.m.

If I leave at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow, will that be enough time for me to get down by Inova Fairfax Hospital area whether I take the Dulles Toll Road to Beltway to Gallows Road or go the back way down Lawyers Road to cross over Rte. 123 and go thru parts of Vienna to get over to the Gallows Rd area? I live in Reston, VA.

I want to have two routes mapped out in case there are traffic snarls.

Many thanks.

JfromReston · 03-09-2021, 01:10 PM

The drive either way should take about 30 minutes. If you leave at 7:30 you will be early. I understand about being early for this important event. I got my vaccine today at Fairfax County Health Department on Old Keen Mill Road. They were wonderfully efficient. The selfie I took has a clock on the wall showing that I got the jab 5 minutes before my scheduled appointment time. Hope you have a similar experience.

virgo · 03-09-2021, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JfromReston

The drive either way should take about 30 minutes. If you leave at 7:30 you will be early. I understand about being early for this important event. I got my vaccine today at Fairfax County Health Department on Old Keen Mill Road. They were wonderfully efficient. The selfie I took has a clock on the wall showing that I got the jab 5 minutes before my scheduled appointment time. Hope you have a similar experience.

Thank you very much. I was hoping that the 1 hour that I had allotted would not only get me to the facility on time, but would give me extra time if I have to drive around and around looking for parking and end up far away from the building's entrance (like at the Reston Hospital/professional bldgs. complex before COVID).

RestonS · 03-09-2021, 06:46 PM

I make the drive from Reston to that area on a regular basis. I leave about 7:15 and get there at 7:45. So you will have plenty of time.

ICS67 · 03-09-2021, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by virgo

Thank you very much. I was hoping that the 1 hour that I had allotted would not only get me to the facility on time, but would give me extra time if I have to drive around and around looking for parking and end up far away from the building's entrance (like at the Reston Hospital/professional bldgs. complex before COVID).

I went Lawyers to Malcolm to Nutley to Rt. 50, and it took 25 minutes to get to Inova. This was early afternoon, but when my wife had a medical appointment there recently at 8:30 AM it also took 25 minutes.

There is plenty of parking at Inova's Innovation Drive facility -- you won't be circling for hours -- and even though I parked about as far away as possible from the building where the shots are given, it took me all of about four minutes to walk from my car to the facility. You'll be fine.

I started a thread last week relating my whole experience with the procedure. In case you didn't see it:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/nort...a-fairfax.html

Good luck.

virgo · 03-10-2021, 01:39 PM

Thanks for the feedback one and all. I was on time this morning, but it took me longer than 25 mins. because I went thru three 25 mph flashing school zones; we inched along getting thru the stop signs in Vienna; I forgot Vienna is only 25 mph (sigh); and today was trash day in Vienna, so we had to wait as the trucks made their stops.

Lots of people and cars at the complex--staff going to work in the various medical buildings, people going for their medical appointments, and us who were there for our COVID shots. Many of us were circling the parking lot because we could not find a building with the number 8100 on it or a building with the name "Inova Center for Personalized Health," which was mentioned in my invitation email. I asked someone, and she pointed to a building and said that she thought it was the one I wanted.

So, for anyone who may not be familiar with this complex, the building where the shots are being given says: Inova Sports Medicine on the side of it. There is no number.

I pre-registered completely at home, so I was pretty much whisked right along thru the lines. I brought my confirmation printout with me.

Maybe things are moving faster than expected. This past Monday, March 8th, I got this message from Fairfax County Health: We are currently scheduling appointments for individuals who registered on 01/22/21. Hmm. I registered on 02/09/21, so they seem to be ahead of themselves.

DAXhound · 03-13-2021, 07:12 PM

Which shot did you get? Is there a second one?

virgo · 03-14-2021, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAXhound

Which shot did you get? Is there a second one?

The Inova Vaccine Clinic that I went to used the Pfizer Vaccine. It is a two-shot vaccine. Just for the record, I'm a silver bird (67 years old).

I could remember that I was told that I could get the second shot in 3-6 weeks, but I couldn't remember if the nurse said that I should schedule it or wait to be offered an open date by Fairfax County Health. So, on Friday, the 12th, I checked the electronic medical record chart that I had to create for Inova and saw a statement that said my second dose had been ordered and was available. The chart automatically showed me available time slots for Saturday, April 3rd, so I made an appointment for 9 a.m.

Hope the above helps.