Bowser’s Situational Update – School Vax Mandate & Booster Shots – Main Takeaways

Bowser’s Situational Update – School Vax Mandate & Booster Shots – Main Takeaways

by Larry Janezich

Posted

Mayor Bowser and members of her administration held a situational briefing on Monday, September 20.  Here are some of the main takeaways from the briefing. 

• By November 1, all adults regularly in schools and child care centers must be vaccinated against covid. No test out option.  This includes DC public schools, DC public charter schools, private schools, parochial schools, child care facilities regulated by OSSE. 
• After November 1, all student athletes 12 and over must be vaccinated to participate in school-based sports. This does not apply to athletics at DPR facilities or private club sports and athletics unless they train or compete at DC school facilities.
• Currently, third doses of Pfizer vaccine are only approved for certain immunocompromised individuals – those over 65 and those at risk for severe illness.  (Health care providers and pharmacies are now providing booster shots for qualifying residents if eight months have elapsed since their second Pfizer shot.)
• The CDC Advisory Committee is meeting on September 22 and 23 to make recommendations on the clinical use of the Pfizer vaccine.
• It is not expected that the CDC recommendations will apply to persons receiving Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• If and when third doses are approved for additional populations by the FDA and the CDC, eligible individuals will be able to take their vaccine card to any vaccination site and receive their third dose.
• Residents should expect recommendations of risk of severe illness to mirror conditions in the original vaccine rollout. New data may influence these decisions.  (Presumably, this means that barring new information, if third doses are approved, distribution will be authorized in the same order as the original vaccine was.)
• Residents can get ready for the distribution of third doses by:
  • Locating their vaccination card
  • Calling their health care provider to discuss options

If residents can’t find their vaccination cards, consult DC MyIR (a web-based portal that gives District residents secure, easy access to their official COVID-19 vaccination records) here: https://dchealth.dc.gov/page/dc-myir

For the Mayor’s PowerPoint presentation at today’s briefing, go here:  https://bit.ly/3CzuFen