To the Fairfax County Community,
In case you missed it, on Friday the CDC recommended expanding eligibility for a booster dose of both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for all adults age 18 and up. This means that any adult who received a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least six months earlier can receive a booster dose. As a reminder, all persons who received the Johnson & Johnson single dose COVID-19 vaccine are already eligible for a booster dose at least two months after the initial. You can learn more about the change and how to schedule your next vaccine appointment here.
On a different note, I wanted to share some of the Board's work decriminalizing and treating mental health and substance abuse. Due to the pandemic, many of us have faced isolation, anxiety, and uncertainty, and it takes a toll on our wellbeing. (You can find general mental health resources here.) This increase in mental health problems combined with less access to services, has partly led to a record high number of deaths in the US caused by drug overdoses. We have seen sadly similar trends in Fairfax County:
- Following a significant decrease in the number of fatal opioid overdoses in the Fairfax Health District from 2017 to 2019, unfortunately in 2020, the number of fatal opioid overdoses increased to 94 (most of these involved fentanyl which is 50-100 times more powerful than morphine).
- Statewide from 2019 to 2020, there has been a 47% increase in fatal opioid overdoses and about 87% involved fentanyl.
- The number of emergency department visits for heroin and non-heroin opioid overdoses also was significantly higher in the state and the Fairfax Health District in 2020 relative to 2019. The data available for 2021 so far is trending higher than the same time period in 2020.
The Board and Fairfax County are committed to making accessible resources for mental health treatment. Recently, the Board acted on a settlement agreement with Attorney General Mark Herring to hold pharmaceutical companies responsible for the opioid crisis that enabled this surge in 2020 to occur. This money will continue to help abate the harmful impacts of the opioid crisis.
To further our work, we know how crucial it is the invest in our Community Services Board that provides services to people with mental illness. That's why in FY2017 for example, we devoted more funding (over $113 million) to our CSB than Arlington, Loudoun, Alexandria, Virginia Beach, and Prince William counties combined.
Below, I outline some programs we have in Fairfax County that work to divert mental illness away from the criminal justice system and additionally our work to reduce drug overdoses.