Army Spc. Angel Laureano holds a vial of the COVID-19 vaccine at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.

U.S. Secretary of Defense/Lisa Ferdinando / Flickr

Many unvaccinated D.C. residents now have a new, convenient option for getting their COVID-19 shots: Calling DC Health at (855) 363-0333 and getting vaccinated at home.

Since April, DC Health has provided homebound residents with the option of calling that number to get the vaccine administered to them at home. But now the program is available to all residents who want the vaccine.

Patrick Ashley, who leads DC Health’s emergency preparedness response, confirmed on Twitter Thursday that the city had made the option of booking a home vaccine appointment available to all unvaccinated residents. “Don’t have to be homebound in DC (recently changed),” Ashley wrote. “Just give us a call and we’ll come!”

DCist/WAMU has reached out to DC Health to ask whether it plans to publicize the availability of this program and what kind of capacity it offers; there has not been an official press release or announcement of its expansion.

“Yes, there are plans to inform residents [about the program],” a spokesperson for DC Health said in an email to DCist/WAMU, but did not elaborate on what those plans include.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best way for individuals to protect themselves against serious disease or death from the coronavirus. Recently, the spread of the highly-contagious Delta variant has made the issue of vaccine access even more important for controlling the pandemic.

And while vaccination rates in the D.C. region are higher than the national average, there are still significant numbers of unvaccinated residents. In D.C., vaccination rates in the majority-Black neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River are lower than they are in whiter, wealthier areas of the city. These disparities are particularly pronounced among children. And while disinformation has played a significant role in fueling hesitancy around the vaccine, experts say access issues like a lack of transportation, childcare, or paid time off have also continued to play a role in preventing people from getting vaccinated.

The home vaccine appointment option could be a particularly helpful one for people who have experienced these barriers to vaccine access — and it comes as vaccine requirements have become increasingly common in the D.C. area. Federal workers and employees of several regional governments will soon be subject to new vaccine rules. In addition, a growing list of bars, restaurants, and performance venues in the region are now requiring proof of vaccination for attendance.

This story has been updated to include a comment from DC Health.

Filed Under: COVID-19 vaccine, Health Hub, vaccines,