In early March, the District plans to unveil a program allowing residents to sign up to be alerted when the vaccine becomes available to them.
DC Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt said that the process would still employ an “equity lens”. Qualifying individuals will be able to input their names and information in advance of booking appointments.
DC Health will then contact registrants based on factors such as the tier being vaccinated, the zip code priority and then registration time. “It allows an individual to signal to us as government that they are interested in the vaccination process,” Nesbitt said, “and when we are able to give them vaccinagtion scheduling, we will do so.”
“It is not a line for vaccination sequence based on registration times,” she said.
Nesbitt said that since the District received vaccines as batches, eligible registrants will be notified in groups that they can make an appointment to be vaccinated. If they accept the opportunity, they will then have a defined period of time to make an appointment at a location near to them.
Nesbitt said that this system will be more flexible and more accessible to those who cannot attempt registration at the fixed times it is currently offered to all.
This morning, approximately 2,500 appointments became available to all residents 65 and older and those working in a healthcare setting. Yesterday, 2,500 appointments were available to DC residents in priority zip codes including Wards 5, 7 and 8.
Changes to the registration system included allocating 1,000 appointments for distribution solely through the call center, accessible at 1-855-363-0333.
At Thursday’s 11:30 a.m. situational update, Nesbitt said that appointments were still available via the call center just prior to the press conference, whereas the 1,500 appointments available online had been taken.
Next week’s vaccine allotment is up approximately 50 percent from two weeks ago. At the current pace, the District expects to have vaccinated 70 percent of seniors by the end of the month, Nesbitt said.
Learn more about vaccines and vaccination registration at coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccinatedc
