Dear Friend --

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

***I just sent the below email, and I know many of you are tearing your hair out right now because you cannot schedule appointments. My understanding is that both the web and phone system have not been updated for Phase 1C. Those who try to schedule on line are given a message they are not eligible for the vaccine unless they are ages 65 and older. Phone callers cannot get through. I have asked DC Health for answers and will send a short update when I receive them. I know this is unacceptable and frustrating.***

A quick email to update you on vaccine prioritization: DC Health has announced the expansion of vaccination to Phase 1C, beginning with DC residents who have qualifying medical conditions. It is a bit confusing, so I hope this is helpful.

Starting today (Thursday, Feb. 25) at 9 a.m.: DC residents ages 18 and older with qualifying medical conditions who live in targeted zip codes can schedule appointments for the vaccine. Residents can schedule on line through vaccinate.dc.gov or 855-363-0333. DC Health reserves a certain number of appointments for those who schedule by phone. I will give you my observation that in recent weeks phone appointments have been available much longer than slots scheduled on line. The priority zip codes are focused in Wards 5, 7, and 8: 20422, 20011, 20017, 20018, 20002, 20001, 20019, 20020, 20032, 20593.

Starting tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 26) at 9 a.m.: All DC residents ages 18 and older with qualifying medical conditions can schedule appointments for the vaccine. Residents can schedule on line through vaccinate.dc.gov or 855-363-0333. Again, a number of appointment slots will be reserved for those who schedule by phone.

Starting next week: DC residents 16 and 17 years of age with qualifying medical conditions can schedule appointments for the vaccine. These appointments will be coordinated by Children's National Medical Center. More information coming soon.

These are the qualifying medical conditions:
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
Thalassemia

To sum up, these are the priority groups eligible right now to get the vaccine in DC: Individuals who work in health care settings; DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department workers; residents of long-term and intermediate care facilities and residents of community residential facilities/group homes; DC residents 65+; individuals experiencing homelessness; Metropolitan Police Department employees; Department of Corrections employees and residents; teachers and staff who are, or will be, working in person at a traditional or public charter school; child care workers and teachers and staff at independent schools in DC; individuals who work in a grocery store/retail food outlet; outreach workers in health, human, and social services; individuals who work in manufacturing; individuals who work in food packaging; DC residents 16-64 years old with qualifying medical conditions.

If you have not already signed up for DC Health's vaccine alerts, I encourage you to do so. Click this link to submit your email address or mobile phone and you will receive an email or text message when the registry opens to additional populations.

I know for many of you the vaccine rollout has been frustrating and confusing. The limited quantity of vaccine available so far means we need to prioritize based on the highest risk of COVID-19 transmission, possibility of hospitalization, and death. The phased approach has been based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control. The prioritization of zip codes is based on local data that shows that there has been an uneven distribution of the vaccine; white residents have been vaccinated at much higher rates than Black residents. I have asked about rates for Latino/Hispanic residents, and it is a bit unclear.

Here is a visualization of DC residents aged 65 and older who have gotten at least a first vaccination shot in DC. The map on the left shows raw numbers; the map on the right shows as a percentage of population. The data is a bit outdated, it is as of Feb. 14. (Sorry about cutting off the top and bottom of the diamond)

I have written about this issue before, but I think it is worth repeating: When we distribute scarce government resources largely through the internet in our city, the distribution will end up racially inequitable. This is what we see in the above maps. This is the case because every resident does not have the financial resources to have high-speed internet and computers in their homes, and those without are predominantly Black and Latino. Time is also a factor. If you are an essential worker who needs to report in person to work, such as our retail and grocery store workers, you will not be available at 9 a.m. to schedule an appointment. Again, many of our essential workers and older residents who work out of the home are Black and Latino. Zip code targeting is a rough approximation for race; the legacy of racial segregation is an unfortunate reality in our city that we need to change.

We change this by making our housing policies more equitable. This is a major topic of the Mayor's Rental Housing StrikeForce that I am currently serving on with several councilmembers, real estate owners, tenants, government officials, policy experts, and others. I am optimistic we can use this moment to start course correcting. More on this in a newsletter next week.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have questions or concerns.
Elissa.

Councilmember Elissa Silverman
http://www.elissasilverman.com/

Thank you for reading! Have questions or need to get in touch? Reach us at [email protected] or 202-724-7772.

Councilmember Elissa Silverman