The District opened Saturday the first of the three new vaccination sites for administering the coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson.
During the opening of the city’s first high-capacity vaccination site, approximately 2,500 eligible residents received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
More than 100 physicians, students and staff from George Washington University volunteered to administer vaccine doses at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, according to social media posts by the university.
Another high-capacity vaccination site will open next weekend at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast DC. And the third site is planned to be located at the Providence Health System.
DC is expected to receive around 6,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in its first shipment.
Today, more than 100 GW physicians, students and staff volunteered to administer vaccines at D.C.'s first high-capacity COVID-19 vaccine event. We are proud to have partnered with @_DCHealth during this historic moment. pic.twitter.com/MXOtySLkSN
— GW University (@GWtweets) March 7, 2021
The three new vaccination sites will not be walk-up sites, and residents must schedule an appointment in advance of their visit through vaccinate.dc.gov or DC Health’s call center, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a press conference Thursday.
Around four million shots of the Johnson & Johnson will start shipping across the country Sunday night and states will start receiving them beginning Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be given to adults in February.
Unlike the vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, the newly approved vaccine requires a single shot instead of double. However, it is not as effective as the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. Its Phase 3 clinical trial revealed that the vaccine is 85 percent effective at preventing severe or critical forms of COVID-19 28 days after vaccination.
Another update to coronavirus vaccinations in the District is a new pre-registration portal that will be launched this week, following serious technical issues reported by eligible residents who failed to book an appointment through the current website.
DC to Launch Pre-Registration System for COVID-19 Vaccination
American, Gallaudet, Other DC Universities Create Mobile COVID-19 Testing Lab