IMPORTANT! Change to Health Care Worker Vaccinations
Dear Colleagues,
We highly value all of our GW healthcare workers and your health and safety remain our top priority. We strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated to protect you, our patients and our loved ones. As stated previously, the GW Hospital, The GW Medical Faculty Associates and The GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences are required to follow COVID-19 guidance from the CDC and DC Health, and adhere to changes in the guidance as they occur.
Based on new guidance from DC Health, the District of Columbia has opened up its vaccination eligibility to all DC residents 16 years and older. As part of this change, beginning next Monday, April 19, DC Health will no longer provide vaccinations to health care workers who live outside of the District. All of DC Health’s COVID-19 vaccine doses will be allocated for DC residents only. Health care workers who live in Virginia or Maryland will need to be vaccinated in their home state.
What this change means for GW health care workers:
This change means that beginning next Monday, April 19, we will be unable to provide first doses to our healthcare workers who live in Virginia or Maryland. In addition, our healthcare workers who are DC residents will receive their vaccine at the Washington Convention Center from that date on.
We have opened up our onsite GW healthcare vaccine clinic to accommodate 500 individuals tomorrow (Friday, 4.16). The clinic will be open from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. tomorrow (Friday). Here are the steps to take if you live in VA or MD:
If you are scheduled for a second dose next week or later:
o You do not need to do anything and you will still get your second dose at GW Hospital, as planned.
If you are scheduled for a first dose next week or later:
o Reschedule your appointment to Friday. You can reschedule using the email you received for confirmation. There is a link to reschedule at the bottom. You can also call employee health at 202-715-4275.
If you are not scheduled and live in VA or MD:
If you do not get your first dose this week, GW healthcare workers who are Maryland or Virginia residents will need to seek vaccination from their local jurisdictions. Please see details below for guidance on this.
Maryland Residents
As of April 12, all Maryland residents 16 years old and older are eligible for vaccination through all providers including Maryland’s mass vaccination sites. Learn more and register here: https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine.
Virginia Residents
Many Virginia residents are eligible now and, beginning April 18, all Virginia residents 16 years old and older are eligible for vaccination. Some local communities may begin sooner. Learn more and register here: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/.
DC Residents
Once again, we are required to follow guidance from DC Health and will continue to keep you updated on any changes. We want to make you aware of these changes so that you can appropriately plan your vaccination. If you have questions, please contact your supervisor.
We want all of us to be safe from COVID-19 and we firmly believe that vaccination is the best way to do that. We strongly encourage you to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Stay safe and healthy,
Bruno Petinaux, MD
Chief Medical Officer
GW Hospital
William Borden, MD
Chief Quality and Population Health Officer
Professor of Medicine and of Health Policy and Management
George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates
