COVID Update Feb 26: Vaccination Portal Failures, New Appointments Available for Priority Zip Codes

Posted by
Emmanuel Brantley
on
February 26, 2021


Neighbors,

Today, District residents experienced a series of failures as they attempted to book vaccination appointments at https://vaccinate.dc.gov.

These technical failures, coupled with the fact that residents could not get through to the call center, are unacceptable. There are no excuses. I voiced these concerns to the City Administrator during a performance oversight hearing this morning. I have also followed up with the District’s Department of Health (DOH) and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) to better understand why these technical failures occurred and how we can ensure it does not happen again.

I have urged DC Health for the last several months to adopt a pre-registration system so residents can fill out their information and be notified of available appointments. Today, DC Health informed me that they are making these changes to the registration system and expect them will be live in mid-March.

Here’s what comes next this week:

The following groups are now eligible to receive the vaccine:

Individuals aged 16-64 with qualifying medical conditions are also elgibile. Qualifying medical conditions include: Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and other Chronic Lung Disease; Bone Marrow and Solid Organ Transplantation; 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; Neurologic Conditions; Obesity, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2; Pregnancy; Severe Genetic Disorders; Sickle Cell Disease; and Thalassemia.

Residents who are unsure whether they qualify for the vaccine based on a qualifying medical condition should contact their health care provider.

DC Veterans aged 65 and older may be able to get vaccinated and should visit https://www.washingtondc.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp or call 202-745-8000 for more information.

I know that this has been an incredibly stressful time, and my team and I will continue to assist you and advocate on your behalf. My goal is to help ensure that all residents can be vaccinated as quickly as possible, and I know that providing a simplified and reliable registration process is fundamental to that effort.

Please stay tuned for updates.

Yours in Service,

Brooke  


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