From the Mayor’s Office:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health, led by Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, announced updates to the registration process for a vaccination appointment in Washington, DC.
Starting next week, the District will switch to a pre-registration system to schedule vaccination appointments. Under the new system, individuals 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 made available, individuals who have pre-registered will receive an email, phone call and / or text message alerting them that they have the opportunity to make an appointment for a vaccination. Equity will continue to be a priority, and DC Health will continue to book appointments for residents who live in priority postal codes.
This week, the district will continue to use the vaccinate.dc.gov scheduling portal and call center. DC Health and the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) Office have worked 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 allow only 3,000 users to access the scheduling questionnaire at a time. In addition, to improve the user experience and increase accessibility, this week, the CAPTCHA has been removed from the vaccinate.dc.gov questionnaire.
Consultations will open at 9 am on Thursday and Friday for DC residents. This week alone, vaccine nominations will not be open to members of eligible workforce groups.
On Thursday, March 4 at 9 am, approximately 5,750 commitments will be opened for the following DC residents who live in priority postal codes:
- DC residents who live in priority postal codes and are 65 or older
- DC residents who live in priority postal codes and are between 18 and 64 years old with a qualified medical condition
On Friday, March 5 at 9 am, approximately 5,750 commitments will be opened for the following DC residents in any postal code:
- Residents of DC 65 and older
- DC 18-64 residents with a qualified medical condition
Residents can expect to see several new vaccination sites listed on the portal this week. These new sites 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 to be approved for use in the United States. While users can see, when choosing a vaccination site, which vaccine will be administered there, DC Health is emphasizing that all available vaccines have been shown to be effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Residents are highly encouraged to get the first vaccine available.
Qualifying medical conditions include: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic lung diseases; Bone Marrow and Solid Organ Transplantation; Cancer; Cerebrovascular disease; Chronic Kidney Disease; Congenital Heart Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Cardiac Conditions, such as Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease or Cardiomyopathies; HIV; Hypertension; Immunocompromised state; Hereditary metabolic diseases; Intellectual and developmental disabilities; Liver disease; Neurological conditions; Obesity, BMI ≥ 30 kg / mtwo; Pregnancy; Serious Genetic Diseases; Sickle cell anemia; and thalassemia.
Residents who are unsure whether they qualify for the vaccine based on a qualified medical condition should contact their doctor.
At the moment, appointments scheduled through the portal and the call center are open to those over 18 years of age. District residents aged 16 or 17 with a qualified medical condition who are not existing patients at Children’s National Hospital or HSC, can pre-register for a vaccination at Children’s National Hospital by following the link posted on coronavirus.dc. gov / vaccine.
Priority postal codes are concentrated in wards 5, 7 and 8 and include: 20422, 20011, 20017, 20018, 20002, 20001, 20019, 20020, 20032, 20593. Priority postal codes include areas of the city where residents are affected disproportionately by COVID-19, including number of cases and mortality rate. Wards 5, 7 and 8 are being prioritized because they have the lowest percentages of residents aged 65 and over who received at least one dose of the vaccine.
As of this week, the following populations are now eligible for the vaccine in Washington, DC: individuals working in health care facilities; members of the Fire and Medical Emergency Department; residents of long-term care institutions and intermediaries and residents of residential facilities / collective houses in the community; DC residents aged 65 and over; homeless individuals; members of the Metropolitan Police Department; Continuity of District Government staff; Corrections Department employees and residents; teachers and staff who are, or will be working in person at a traditional or public charter school; daycare workers, teachers, and employees of independent schools in DC; individuals working in a grocery store environment; community workers in health, human and social services; individuals working in manufacturing; individuals who work with food packaging; DC residents aged 16 to 64 with qualifying medical conditions.
Updated health guidance for vaccinated individuals
In addition, this week, DC Health updated several guidance documents for individuals who are fully vaccinated. Guidance documents updated at coronavirus.dc.gov/phasetwo:
- Travel guidance
- First steps for employers outside the healthcare field when employees test positive for COVID-19
- Orientation to contacts close to a person with COVID-19 confirmed
- Quarantine orientation after COVID-19 exposure
As studies continue on the ability of fully vaccinated people to transmit the virus, vaccinated individuals must continue to wear masks, maintain social distance and practice good hygiene. However, as indicated in the updated guidance documents, for 90 days after the final dose of the vaccine, fully vaccinated individuals who do not show any symptoms of COVID-19 do not need to be quarantined after close contact with an individual tested positive for COVID- 19 This is an example of how everyday life will continue to adjust and improve as more people are vaccinated. “