From the mayor’s office:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health, led by Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, have announced updates to the process of registering a vaccination appointment in Washington, DC.
Starting next week, the district will move to a pre-registration system to make vaccination appointments. Under the new system, people will be able to provide their information to DC Health through a pre-registration website or by calling the district’s call center. As appointments are facilitated, people who have previously registered will receive an email, a phone call and / or a text message to let them know that they have the opportunity to make a vaccination appointment. Equity will continue to be a priority and DC Health will continue to book appointments for residents living with priority zip codes.
This week, the district will continue to use the vaccinate.dc.gov dating portal and call center. DC Health and the Office of the Director of Technology (OCTO) have been working with Microsoft to ensure a better user experience. Improvements include increased server availability for the portal and the addition of a “waiting room” that will only allow 3,000 users to access the appointment questionnaire at a time. In addition, to improve the user experience and increase accessibility, the CAPTCHA has been removed from the vaccinate.dc.gov questionnaire this week.
Appointments will open Thursday and Friday at 9:00 a.m. for DC residents. For this week alone, vaccine appointments will not be open to members of eligible worker groups.
Turned on Thursday, March 4 at 9:00 a.m. approximately 5,750 appointments will be opened at the following DC residents living with priority zip codes:
- DC residents who live with priority zip codes and are over 65 years old
- DC residents who live with priority zip codes and are between the ages of 18 and 64 with a medical condition that meets the requirements
Turned on Friday, March 5 at 9:00 a.m. approximately 5,750 appointments will be opened at the following DC residents in any zip code:
- DC residents 65 years of age or older
- Residents aged 18 to 64 who have an adequate medical condition
Residents can expect to see several new vaccination sites listed on the portal this week. These new locations will serve as high-capacity sites where the Janssen / Johnson & Johnson single-dose 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 users will be able to see when choosing a vaccination site which vaccine will be administered there, DC Health points out that all available vaccines have been shown to be effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Residents are encouraged to get the first vaccine available.
Eligible medical conditions include: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and another chronic lung disease; Bone marrow and solid organ transplant; Cancer; Cerebrovascular disease; Chronic kidney disease; Congenital Heart Diseases; Diabetes mellitus; Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies; HIV; Hypertension; Immunocompromised state; Inherited metabolic disorders; Intellectual and developmental disabilities; Liver disease; Neurological conditions; Obesity, BMI ≥ 30 kg / m2; Pregnancy; Serious genetic disorders; Sickle cell disease; and thalassemia.
Residents who are unsure whether they meet the requirements for the vaccine based on proper medical condition should contact their health care provider.
At this time, appointments booked through the portal and call center are open to people 18 years of age or older. Residents of the district who are 16 or 17 years of age and have an adequate medical condition and who are not patients of the National Children’s Hospital or HSC, can pre-register for the vaccine at the National Children’s Hospital by following the link posted to coronavirus.dc governor / vaccine.
Priority zip codes are concentrated in neighborhoods 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 seen disproportionately affected. by COVID-19, including the number of cases and the mortality rate. Neighborhoods 5, 7 and 8 are being prioritized because they have the lowest percentage of residents aged 65 and over who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
As of this week, the following populations are already eligible for the vaccine in Washington, DC: people working in health care settings; members of the fire and emergency medical services department; residents of long-term and intermediate care facilities and residents of community residential facilities / group homes; DC residents who are 65 or older; people living homeless; members of the Metropolitan Police Department; Continuity of district government staff; Employees and residents of the Corrections Department; teachers and staff who work or will be working in person at a traditional or public charter school; child care workers and teachers and staff at independent DC schools; people working in a grocery store; workers in health, human and social services; people working in manufacturing; people working in food packaging; DC residents aged 16 to 64 with qualified medical conditions.
Updated health guide for vaccinated people
In addition, this week, DC Health has updated several guidance documents for fully vaccinated people. Guidance documents updated at coronavirus.dc.gov/phasetwo:
- Orientation for the trip
- First steps for non-healthcare employers when employees test positive for COVID-19
- Guidance for close contacts of a person who has been confirmed to have COVID-19
- Guide for quarantine after exposure to COVID-19
As studies continue on the ability of fully vaccinated people to transmit the virus, people who get vaccinated should continue to wear masks, social distance, and practice good hygiene. However, as indicated in the updated guidance documents, for 90 days after their final dose of vaccine, fully vaccinated individuals who do not show symptoms of COVID-19 do not need to be quarantined after a narrow contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID. 19. This is an example of how the day-to-day will continue to be adjusted and improved as more people are vaccinated. “