Amid shifting federal guidelines on Covid-19 vaccines, some pharmacies around Arlington are now offering the shots without requiring a prescription.

Only days ago, all CVS locations in Virginia required a prescription for most patients to receive the latest version of the vaccine. That’s no longer the case, CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault told ARLnow today (Wednesday).

Virginia is now among the states where CVS can offer the vaccine “without a patient-specific prescription.” Thibault said the company’s approach is “based on FDA approval and recent regulatory action by certain states.”

“Virginia law permits a prescriber to enter a protocol arrangement that authorizes pharmacist-administered vaccinations for adults,” she said.

A sign at a Safeway in Falls Church also currently advertises Covid-19 shots for patients ages 18 and up, no prescription required.

True to the business’s word, an ARLnow reporter successfully received a vaccine there this morning without a doctor’s prescription.

A sign advertising free Covid-19 shots at a Safeway in Falls Church (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

A tipster told ARLnow that all 33 Safeway locations with pharmacies in Virginia have the same policy. As of this afternoon, patients over the age of 18 with Virginia zip codes can schedule Covid-19 vaccinations on the company’s website.

“The 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines are indicated for people ages 65 and older, and those under 65 years of age at increased risk for severe COVID-19,” the website says.

Safeway’s parent company, Albertsons, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

More clarity on this topic could come once the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meets from Sept. 18-19. The Virginia Department of Health said last week that it “anticipates that ACIP will vote on the updated COVID-19 vaccines at this meeting.”

“If approved by the CDC, pharmacists will be able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine,” the department said.

The health agency encouraged Virginians to contact their health-care providers to ask about receiving the vaccine or request a prescription.