Update on DC Government Employee Eligibility for COVID-19 Vaccine

This week DC Health will open the District’s vaccination appointment portal (vaccinate.dc.gov) only to DC residents 65+ and 18-64 with qualifying medical conditions. The Thursday release of appointments will be only for those living in priority ZIP codes (see How To Schedule below), and Friday in any DC ZIP code.

This is not a change to the District’s overall eligibility criteria, just a temporary adjustment to the portal’s operations for this week

If you are scheduling your vaccination appointment outside of the portal and instead through your place of work, that process should continue as normal.

After this week, the District will switch over to a pre-registration system for making vaccination appointments. Beginning next week individuals will be able to provide their information to DC Health through a pre-registration website or by calling the District’s Call Center. As appointments are made available, individuals who have pre-registered will receive an email, phone call, and/or text message alerting them that they have an opportunity to make a vaccination appointment.

Once open, DC residents and workers are encouraged to sign up in the pre-registration system.

DC residents who are 65 years or older, or 18 to 64 with qualifying Phase 1c Tier 1 medical conditions will be able to make appointments through the District’s vaccination portal this week.

These employees should schedule an appointment through the District’s vaccination appointment portal at vaccinate.dc.gov or by calling the District’s coronavirus Call Center at (855) 363-0333.

For DC residents who are 16 or 17 years of age and have a qualifying medical condition, and are not an existing patient of Children's National Hospital or HSC, please pre-register for a vaccination at Children’s National Hospital by clicking here.

If you are scheduling your vaccination appointment outside of the portal and instead through your place of work, that process should continue as normal.

Individuals working in health care settings, including:

• District-run clinics and Saint Elizabeths Hospital
• COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites
• District-owned animal shelter

Individuals working for Fire & Emergency Medical Services (FEMS), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), or Department of Corrections (DOC) OR working in public safety settings, including:

• Firehouses and FEMS central offices
• Police stations and MPD headquarters
• DC Jail
• DYRS youth detention facilities 
• Protective Services Division staff

Individuals working in school and childcare settings, including: 

• DC Public Schools (DCPS) school sites
• Public Charter Schools (PCS) school sites
• District-run childcare sites, including active Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) Cooperative Play Program sites

These employees should contact their supervisors for further information on scheduling an appointment.

The District’s vaccination appointment portal will not be open for scheduling this week to individuals based on work status.

Many individuals in these groups, or individuals currently working in person at these settings, have received specific instructions for how to schedule a vaccination appointment. 

If you are one of these individuals, and have not received specific instructions, please speak with your supervisor. 

For those directed to sign up for an appointment via the District’s vaccination appointment portal:

At 9:00 a.m., on Thursday, March 4, new appointments will become available on vaccinate.dc.gov and the District’s coronavirus Call Center only for eligible DC residents currently living in this week’s target ZIP codes – 20422, 20011, 20017, 20018, 20002, 20001, 20019, 20020, 20032, 20593.

At 9:00 a.m., on Friday, March 5, new appointments will become available on vaccinate.dc.gov and the District’s coronavirus Call Center only for eligible DC residents.

These employees should schedule an appointment through the District’s vaccination appointment portal at vaccinate.dc.gov or by calling the District’s coronavirus Call Center at (855) 363-0333.

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, and to sign-up for regular updates on the availability of appointments, visit coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccine.