Some in DC are skipping their second COVID-19 vaccine shots

Millions of Americans are missing appointments for their second COVID-19 vaccine doses, and that includes people in the D.C.

About 13% of people in the District who were supposed to get a second Pfizer or Moderna shot have skipped it, according to Dr. Ankoor Shah, a senior D.C. Health official.

That’s higher than the 8% of Americans nationwide missing appointments for their second COVID-19 vaccine dose as of early April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shah provided the update during a public oversight roundtable Thursday held by the D.C. Council’s Committee on Health on the District’s COVID-19 vaccination process.

Patrick Ashley, head of emergency response for D.C. Health, said the city has cleared out a backlog of people waiting for appointments, as it pivots away from its preregistration system.

Shah said 20% of D.C.’s population has been fully vaccinated, compared to 30% nationally.

Ward 1 D.C. Council member Brianne Nadeau said there have been “tense moments … but we’ve gotten to a good place.”

You can watch the roundtable below.

WTOP’s John Aaron contributed to this report.


More Coronavirus News

Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.

Matt Small

Matt joined WTOP News at the start of 2020, after contributing to Washington’s top news outlet as an Associated Press journalist for nearly 18 years.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up