Answering The Call: Georgetown Coordinates COVID-19 High-Capacity Vaccination Site

Georgetown DC

06 April, 2021

11:25 AM

Description

Press release from Georgetown University: March 29, 2021 Georgetown medical and nursing students, supported by dozens of other undergraduate, faculty and staff volunteers, vaccinated more than 1,000 people this past weekend and 1,500 earlier this month at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, where the Washington Mystics play, in DC's Ward 8. The university partnered with the DC government to coordinate one of the city's new high-capacity vaccination sites in an effort to vaccinate as many residents as possible. The DC government is solely responsible for determining who is eligible to receive a vaccine and scheduling appointments for these sites. More information is available on the DC Coronavirus website. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced March 4 that Georgetown would be a community partner in helping administer COVID-19 vaccinations in the city. After a successful clinic administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Sunday, March 13, the university coordinated another clinic administering the first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Sunday, March 28. A Georgetown-coordinated clinic for the second dose will take place on Sunday, April 25. "Equitable and fast vaccine distribution is a national priority, and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve our city and our nation by supporting vaccination efforts for the residents of Washington, DC," says Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. Vaccination Collaboration Since December, the university and leaders from DC's Department of Health have discussed ways to collaborate on the vaccine rollout. On Feb. 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the single-dose vaccine manufactured by Janssen, a part of Johnson & Johnson. Merck announced on March 2 that it would help Johnson & Johnson produce the vaccine to significantly increase supply. Vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna have been available under EUA since December. The addition of a third vaccine has expanded the national supply of vaccines and increased the need for more distribution sites. Georgetown medical and nursing students answered the call for volunteers to administer the vaccines. This press release was produced by Georgetown University.The views expressed here are the author's own.