The District of Columbia opened another 1,800 appointments for COVID-19 vaccination on Friday morning, with residents filling them up within the first 20 minutes, following Thursday’s 1,800 appointments.
Residents 65 years of age and older and health care employees living in priority zip codes scheduled their vaccine appointments starting at 9 am on Thursday.
DC Health offered an additional 1,800 appointments on Friday at 9 am for senior citizens or health care workers living in any ward.
“Vaccination appointments that opened this morning filled,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a tweet. “More appointments will become available for eligible residents living in priority zip codes on February 11. Additional appointments available for all residents 65 and older and/or health care workers on February 12.”
Beginning at 9 am, approximately 1,800 vaccination appointments will become available for DC residents 65 years of age and older and/or health care workers. Demand for the vaccine is high, and we anticipate the appointments to fill quickly. pic.twitter.com/4qSa34Gyfj
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) February 5, 2021
This week’s prioritized wards are 5, 7, and 8, which are home to the lowest rate of seniors who have received the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine.
Priority zip codes are expected to change in the coming weeks, according to changing conditions.
In order to provide assistance for seniors’ scheduling of vaccine appointments, the Mayor’s Office is partnering them with volunteers who can help them register, according to DC’s coronavirus situational update.
Veterans May Receive the Shot via Veterans Affairs
Mayor Bowser also announced that DC veterans aged 65 or older may get vaccinated through the US Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. You can visit http://va.gov or contact (202) 745-8000 for details.
The Veterans Affairs Medical Center currently has a limited amount of vaccine shots. The groups eligible for being vaccinated at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center health care facilities are as follows:
- VA health care personnel
- Veterans living in VA’s long-term care facilities
- Veterans who receive care at VA and are at high risk from COVID-19 based on VA and CDC risk criteria. (It includes all veterans who are 75 years ages or older at most VA facilities.)
- Some designated family caregivers who are enrolled in VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) (when the veteran they care for becomes eligible.)