From the town hall:
“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health, led by Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, announced updates to the registration process for a vaccination meeting in Washington, DC.
Starting next week, the district will move to a pre-registration system for conducting vaccination schedules. Under the new system, individuals will be able to provide their information to DC Health through a pre-registration site or by calling the district’s call center. As appointments are made available, pre-registered people will receive an email, a phone call and / or a text message warning them that they have the opportunity to have a vaccination meeting. Equity will continue to be 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 the vaccinate.dc.gov programming portal and call center. DC Health and the Office of the Director of Technology (OCTO) have worked with Microsoft to ensure a better user experience. Improvements include increased portal server availability and the addition of a “waiting room” that will only allow 3,000 users to access the programming questionnaire at a time. In addition, to improve the user experience and increase accessibility, this week CAPTCHA was removed from the vaccinate.dc.gov questionnaire.
Appointments will be open Thursday and Friday at 9:00 a.m. for DC residents. For this week alone, vaccination schedules will not open to members of eligible workforce groups.
On Thursday, March 4 at 9:00, about 5,750 meetings will open for the next ones DC residents living in priority zip codes:
- DC residents who live in priority zip codes and are over 65 years of age
- DC residents who live in priority zip codes and are 18-64 years old with an eligible medical condition
On Friday, March 5 at 9:00, about 5,750 meetings will open for the next ones DC residents in any zip code:
- DC residents over 65 years old
- Residents aged between 18 and 64 with an eligible medical condition
Residents can expect to see some 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 what vaccine will be given 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 extremely encouraged to get the first vaccine available to them.
Qualifying medical conditions include: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic lung diseases; Bone marrow and solid organ transplant; Cancer; Cerebrovascular disease; Chronic kidney disease; Congenital heart disease; 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; Task; Severe genetic disorders; Sickle disease; and thalassemia.
Residents who are unsure if they qualify for the vaccine based on an eligible medical condition should contact their healthcare provider.
At this time, appointments reserved through the portal and call center are open to people at least 18 years old. Residents of the district who are 16 or 17 years old and have a qualified medical condition and are not an existing patient of the National Children’s Hospital or HSC, can register in advance for a vaccination at the National Children’s Hospital following the link posted on coronavirus.dc. gov / vaccine.
Priority postcodes are concentrated in sections 5, 7 and 8 and include: 20422, 20011, 20017, 20018, 20002, 20001, 20019, 20020, 20032, 20593. Priority postcodes include areas of the city where residents are disproportionately affected of COVID-19, including the number of cases and the mortality rate. Sections 5, 7 and 8 are prioritized because they have the lowest percentages of residents aged 65 and over who have received at least one dose of vaccine.
As of this week, the following populations are now 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 institutions and residents of community residential units / group homes; DC residents aged 65 and over; individuals facing homelessness; members of the Metropolitan Police Department; Continuity of district government staff; Employees and residents of the Corrections Department; teachers and staff working or will work in person at a traditional or public school; child care workers and teachers and staff from independent schools in DC; people working in a grocery store; employees in the field of health, human and social services; people working in the manufacturing industry; people working in food packaging; DC residents aged between 16 and 64, with qualified medical conditions.
Updated health guide for vaccinated people
In addition, this week, DC Health updated several guidance documents for people who are fully vaccinated. Updated guidance documents on coronavirus.dc.gov/phasetwo:
- Travel guidelines
- First steps for non-health employers when employees test positive for COVID-19
- Guidance for close contacts of a person confirmed to have COVID-19
- Guidelines for quarantine after exposure to COVID-19
As studies on the ability of fully vaccinated people to transmit the virus continue, people who are vaccinated should continue to wear masks, social distance and good hygiene. However, as indicated in the updated guidance documents, for 90 days after the final dose of vaccine, fully vaccinated individuals with no symptoms of COVID-19 should not be quarantined after close contact with a person. which has been tested positive for COVID- 19. This is an example of how daily life will continue to adapt and improve as more individuals are vaccinated. ”