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Message from Muriel Bowser
Mayor, District of Columbia
Dear Seniors:
I want to start by saying how much I miss seeing you at events and gatherings across D.C. I also want to thank you for the sacrifices you continue to make in order to protect yourselves and our community. While we must stay vigilant and continue to take measures to stop the spread of the virus — by wearing masks, social distancing, and practicing good hygiene — there is reason to have hope. We should have hope because, finally, we have a safe and effective vaccine that provides us a path out of this pandemic.
I know many of you are eager to get the COVID-19 vaccine. You are eager to see your families, hug your grandchildren, and be out and about with friends and neighbors. And we are working hard to make that possible. Our goal is to make sure the vaccine is available promptly as supply comes in from the federal government and to ensure an equitable distribution of the vaccine across all eight wards. By now, it is clear that demand for the vaccine far outpaces the supply we are receiving from the federal government; so I continue to advocate for D.C. to receive more doses so that we can meet the demand for it and protect the lives of our most vulnerable residents.
At the moment, appointments are being released every Thursday at 9 a.m. to eligible residents in priority zip codes. Priority zip codes include areas of our city where residents have been hit hardest by the virus. We also release additional appointments every Friday at 9 a.m. that are open to anyone who is eligible, regardless of zip code. The best way to secure one of these appointments is through the website vaccinate.dc.gov (where you can also find a step-by-step guide on how to make an appointment). If you do not have internet access, you can also call the District’s coronavirus hotline at 855-363-0333 at 9 a.m. on days when appointments open. In addition to these appointments, hospitals and health care centers across D.C. have limited doses of the vaccine and are working to vaccinate eligible patients.
If you are nervous to take the vaccine, I want to assure you that it is safe and effective. Scientists have been researching how to make vaccines like this one for years. Most of us weren’t talking about coronaviruses before 2020, but because of other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS, doctors and scientists had a head start on developing the COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, millions of Americans have already taken the vaccine — including myself, Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, and members of our community like Mrs. Cora Masters Barry, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, former Mayor Sharon Pratt, former Council member Carol Schwartz, and current Council members Anita Bonds, Mary Cheh, Vince Gray, and Chairman Phil Mendelson. We each got vaccinated because we know that this is the best way to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our city.
Once again, thank you for all you have done to keep our community safe during the pandemic. With this vaccine, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and a sense of hope that we will soon be able to come back together again.
Stay safe, and remember: we are in this together, and we will get through it together.
Mayor Muriel Bowser