From the mayor’s office:
Today Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health, led by Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, announced updates on the process of registering for a vaccination appointment in Washington, DC.
Early next week, the district will switch to a pre-registration system for making vaccination appointments. Under the new system, individuals can provide their information to DC Health through a pre-registration website or by calling the district call center. When appointments are made, people who have registered in advance will receive an email, phone call and / or text message alerting them that they have the option to schedule a vaccination appointment. Equity will remain a top priority and DC Health will continue to reserve appointments for residents living in priority zip codes.
This week, the district will continue to use vaccinate.dc.gov’s appointment portal and call center. DC Health and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) partner with Microsoft to ensure a better user experience. Improvements include greater availability of the portal server and the addition of a “waiting room” that allows only 3,000 users to access the appointment questionnaire at a time. Additionally, to improve user experience and accessibility, the CAPTCHA has been removed from the vaccinate.dc.gov questionnaire this week.
Appointments open Thursday and Friday at 9am to DC residents. For this week alone, vaccination appointments will not be open to members of eligible personnel groups.
On Thursday March 4 at 9:00 am, approximately 5,750 appointments will be open to the following Residents of DC living in priority zip codes
- Residents of DC who live in priority zip codes and are 65 and older
- Residents of DC who live in priority zip codes and are 18-64 years old with a qualifying medical condition
On Friday, March 5 at 9 a.m. approximately 5,750 appointments will be open to the following DC residents in every zip code
- DC residents aged 65 and older
- DC Residents 18-64 with a qualifying medical condition
Residents can expect to see several new vaccination sites on the portal this week. These new sites will serve as high-capacity sites where the single-dose Janssen / Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the third safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the United States. While when choosing a vaccination site, users can see which vaccine will be administered there, DC Health emphasizes that all available vaccines have been proven to be effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Residents are strongly encouraged to take the first available vaccine.
Eligible medical conditions include: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other chronic lung disease; Bone marrow and solid organ transplant; Cancer; Cerebrovascular disease; Chronic kidney disease; Congenital heart disease; Diabetes; Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies; HIV; Hypertension Immunocompromised state; Hereditary metabolic disorders; Intellectual and developmental disorders; Liver disease; Neurological disorders; Obesity, BMI ≥ 30 kg / m2Pregnancy; Serious genetic disorders; Sickle cell disease; and thalassemia.
Residents who are unsure of their eligibility for the vaccine based on a qualifying medical condition should contact their healthcare provider.
Currently, appointments booked through the portal and call center are open to people 18 and older. Neighborhood residents who are 16 or 17 years old and have a qualifying medical condition and are not an existing patient of the Children’s National Hospital or HSC can pre-register for a vaccination at Children’s National Hospital by following the link on coronavirus.dc. government / vaccine.
The priority ZIP codes target wards 5, 7, and 8 and include: 20422, 20011, 20017, 20018, 20002, 20001, 20019, 20020, 20032, 20593. Priority ZIP codes include areas of the city where residents are disproportionately affected by COVID 19, including number of cases and death rate. Wards 5, 7 and 8 are prioritized because they have the lowest percentages of residents 65 and older who received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Beginning this week, the following populations are now eligible for the vaccine in Washington, DC: health care workers; members of the Fire Brigade and Emergency Medical Services department; residents of long-term and medium care facilities and residents of communal housing facilities / group homes; DC residents aged 65 and over; persons who are homeless; members of the Metropolitan Police Department; Continuity of district government personnel; Corrections department employees and residents; teachers and staff who personally work or will work in a traditional or public charter school; childcare workers and teachers and staff in independent schools in DC; persons who work in a supermarket environment; health, human and social service workers; persons working in production; persons who work in food packaging; DC residents aged 16-64 with qualifying medical conditions.
Updated health guidelines for vaccinated individuals
In addition, DC Health this week updated several guidance documents for individuals who have been fully vaccinated. Updated guidance documents on coronavirus.dc.gov/phasetwo:
- Guidance for travel
- First steps for employers outside of healthcare when employees test positive for COVID-19
- Guidelines for Close Contacts of a Person Confirmed to Have COVID-19
- Guidance on quarantine after exposure to COVID-19
While studies continue on the ability of fully vaccinated people to transmit the virus, those who are vaccinated should continue to wear masks, maintain a social distance and practice good hygiene. However, as indicated in the updated guidance documents, fully vaccinated individuals who have no symptoms of COVID-19 for 90 days after their last vaccine dose should not be quarantined after close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. This is an example of how daily life will continue to adapt and improve as more people are vaccinated. “