Dear Neighbor,
I am writing to share information about the District’s vaccine distribution plan. Many of you have contacted our office with questions, so I want to make sure you have access to this information as soon as possible. I have been working closely with DC Health to share information about the availability of the vaccine.
By clicking here, you can find a fact sheet with information for residents 65 years of age and older. There is information on how to sign-up for appointments, the process of receiving the vaccine, and the safety of the vaccine.
Today, Monday, January 11, the District will open a vaccine registration portal for District residents age 65 and older. If you are not in this priority category, please refrain from registering for a vaccine at this time.
If you previously registered, you will need to do so again, even if you have received a confirmation of your previous registration. You can access the portal by visiting: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccinatedc. A call center will also be managing the appointments, not 311. The call center can be reached at 855-363-0333.
Please note, you will not be able to receive the vaccine from your primary care provider. Instead, your appointment will be made at one of the Vaccine Centers located throughout the city. You can learn more about the Vaccine Centers by visiting https://vaccinateqa.dc.gov/vaccine-centers/.
Vaccines will be free and no Medical card or proof of insurance is necessary; just show up with a face mask at the time of your appointment.
While this may not be ideal for your needs, DC Health is working hard to avoid any waste of the vaccine and distribution through the larger providers is the best way to do that. The vaccines come in packs of approximately 100 vials and 900 vials. Each vial can serve approximately 10 people and must be used within 6 hours of being thawed. The vaccine also has to be refrigerated at a certain temperature. Because of the difficulty in moving the vaccine around, Vaccine Centers have been designated based on their ability to serve 100 – 800 people per/day.
At this time, the District of Columbia is distributing the vaccine to those in Phase 1a of the population, which includes healthcare and public safety personnel and long-term facility care residents. Some of these individuals are set to receive their second shot this week.
DC Health will continue to share information at https://coronavirus.dc.gov, and I will continue to work to share this information with residents.
You can sign-up for the newsletter here: https://www.brookepintodc.com/.
Yours in Service,
Brooke