With All DC Residents 16+ Becoming Eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccine on April 19, Mayor Bowser Asks All DC Residents to Pre-Register for an Appointment

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

(Washington, DC) – This week, Mayor Bowser and DC Health announced that beginning Monday, April 19, all DC residents 16 and older will become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington, DC. To ensure that DC is able to get the vaccine out as efficiently as possible, the Mayor is calling on all DC residents to pre-register for a vaccination appointment by going to vaccinate.dc.gov or calling 1-855-363-0333. Since the pre-registration system launched, approximately 66,349 individuals have already pre-registered, received an invitation, and booked an appointment. To date, approximately 192,286 individuals have pre-registered for and are awaiting an appointment.

Individuals who previously pre-registered for an appointment through the portal and who have already received their vaccination elsewhere can email [email protected] or call 1-855-363-0333 to have their information removed from the pre-registration list.

Eligible DC residents are also reminded of other ways to make an appointment, including:

  • Directly through their health care provider
  • Veterans and veteran spouses can get vaccinated through the VA Medical Center and can learn more by calling (202) 745-4342
  • DC residents 65 and older, teachers and school staff, child care workers, and health care workers can book appointments through the CVS site (when appointments are available)

Upcoming special initiatives include a Faith in the Vaccine clinic at Shrine of the Sacred Heart on Wednesday, April 14 and Saturday, April 17. Eligibility for the clinic includes: DC residents 65 and older; DC residents 18-64 with a qualifying medical condition; and members of an eligible workforce. Eligible persons should contact the church for more information and to pre-register. Additionally, this week, a special COVID-19 vaccination clinic for District residents experiencing homelessness launched at the corner of 1st and E Streets NW. The clinic is only for residents experiencing homelessness, and will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9 am.-12 pm and 1 pm - 4 pm. No pre-registration is required at this site.

On Monday, April 12, essential workers in Phase 1C Tier 3 become eligible for the vaccine. This includes all essential employees of institutions of higher education; individuals working in construction; all essential employees working in information technology; essential employees working in federal government agencies; and individuals working in commercial and residential property management. Essential workers must be working in person in Washington, DC.

Currently, eligible individuals include: DC residents 65 and older; DC residents 18-64 with a qualifying medical condition; and members of an eligible workforce who work in DC. Currently the following essential employees are eligible: individuals who work in health care settings; members of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department; members of the Metropolitan Police Department; Continuity of District Government personnel; Department of Corrections employees and residents; teachers and staff at DC schools; child care workers and staff; individuals who work in a grocery store setting; outreach workers in health, human, and social services; individuals who work in manufacturing; individuals who work in food packaging; staff working in courts and individuals providing legal services; frontline employees of public (mass) transit; employees of the U.S. Postal Service; staff working in food service; essential employees in local government agencies; essential employees of public utilities; essential employees in health, human, and social services organizations/agencies who were not vaccinated as outreach workers; individuals working in commercial and residential property maintenance and environmental services; individuals working in non-public transit transportation services (i.e. for hire vehicles, ride share); individuals working in logistics/delivery/courier services; and essential employees working in media and mass communications.

With the new pre-registration system, individuals can register online at any time on any day via vaccinate.dc.gov, or register by phone by calling the call center at 1-855-363-0333, Monday-Friday from 8 am to 7 pm or on Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm. Language translation services are available through the call center. Call center staff are also able to take calls from 711, a free video relay service from the FCC that allows individuals to sign with a hearing interpreter who is then talking on the phone with a call taker.

Each week, invitations are sent:

  • Thursdays by 10 am
  • Sundays by 10 am
  • And, only if any appointments still need to be filled, Tuesdays by 10 am

Anyone who registers by 11:59 pm tonight and who is currently eligible for the vaccine in DC will be part of the randomized selection process tomorrow morning. Once invitations go out, individuals have 48 hours to book their appointment. If an individual does not book their appointment, their name will go back in the pre-registration system (after three unanswered invitations an individual will need to register in the system again).

Eligible individuals are selected through a process that randomizes those who have pre-registered, according to the following breakdown:

  • 20% go to DC residents in priority zip codes who are 65 and older
  • 20% go to DC residents in any zip code who are 65 and older
  • 20% go to DC residents in priority zip codes who are 18-64 with a qualifying medical condition
  • 20% go to DC residents in any zip code who 18-64 with a qualifying medical condition
  • 10% go to DC residents in priority zip codes who are members of an eligible workforce who are 18 and older
  • 10% go to members of an eligible workforce who are 18 and older, regardless of home address

The current list of priority zip codes includes: 20010, 20011, 20017, 20018, 20002, 20003, 20019, 20020, 20032, 20422 and 20593. Priority zip codes are determined by identifying areas where residents have been disproportionately burdened by COVID-19 and areas that are lagging in COVID-19 vaccination coverage.

Mayor Bowser’s three operating principles for the pre-registration system are: 1) an equitable distribution of the vaccine; 2) a consistent scheduling cadence so residents know what to expect; and 3) a shared responsibility, across our community, to get people pre-registered.

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 still needs more vaccine, and we will continue to advocate for additional doses so that we can save lives and meet the demand of our community.