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Ahead of the May 1 Day of Action, Mayor Bowser Calls on Washingtonians to Help Seniors Access Walk-Up, No Appointment Needed Vaccination Clinics

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser is calling on Washingtonians to help their friends, family, and neighbors who are 65 and older access the walk-up vaccination sites that opened this week. The walk-up sites do not require an appointment and are open to any DC resident who is 65 or older.

Additionally, today and tomorrow, the Bald Eagle Recreation Center is open for walk-up vaccinations for residents of Wards 7 and 8 who are 18 and older.

This week, DC Health also announced that residents who are unable to leave home to get vaccinated should call 1-855-363-0333 to make an appointment for an at-home vaccination.

On Saturday, May 1, Mayor Bowser is hosting a Day of Action when volunteers will canvass neighborhoods and help residents pre-register and make a plan to get their free COVID-19 vaccine. Community members interested in joining the effort and helping neighbors get pre-registered should visit bit.ly/dayofactiondc.

On Monday, April 12, all DC residents 16 and older became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington, DC. DC residents should pre-register for a vaccination appointment by going to vaccinate.dc.gov or calling 1-855-363-0333. Children’s National is serving as the vaccination site for DC residents who are 16 and 17 years old. The Children’s National registration page can be accessed HERE; individuals who register will get a text to schedule a vaccination appointment once an appointment becomes available.

Since the pre-registration system launched, approximately 109,925 individuals have already pre-registered, received an invitation, and booked an appointment. To date, approximately 75,444 individuals have pre-registered for and are awaiting an appointment.

Residents of DC, Maryland, and Virginia are encouraged to pre-register for a vaccination appointment in the state in which they live:

  • DC residents are encouraged to pre-register in DC at vaccinate.dc.gov or by calling 1-855-363-0333
  • Maryland residents are encouraged to pre-register in Maryland at covidvax.maryland.gov or by calling 1-855-634-6829
  • Virginia residents are encouraged to pre-register in Virginia at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling 877-829-4682

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
  • Through the CVS site (when appointments are available)
  • Through the Costco site (when appointments are available)

With the 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 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. or on Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 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 p.m. 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).

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.

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.