AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTH SPECIAL
HOW’S DC DOING ON COVID VACCINES?
DC to Enforce Immunization Requirement in Next School Year
O
n June 21, DC’s youngest residents began receiving their first COVID-19 vaccinations after Pfizer-Biotech and Modern vaccines were given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for children ages 6 months to 5 years. With the ability to immunize most of the District’s residents against the COVID-19 virus, it is a good time to assess the District’s vaccine status. It’s been a long ride since the COVID vaccine became widely available to District adults last spring. At the time, the District struggled to address inequity in distribution across wards and demographics. The District has made some headway in closing some of the gaps in COVID vaccination status over the last year, but significant challenges remain. On June 21, 2021, data showed that only about 27 percent of ward 7 and 21 percent of Ward 8 residents were fully vaccinated; a year later, that number has risen to 46.7 percent overall and 54 in Ward 7. That’s still lower than in Ward 4, for instance, where 73.9 percent of residents have completed the primary series. Overall, the District is moving closer to achieving equal rates of vaccination for its black and white residents. Last June, DC data indicated 31.6 percent of white residents and 24.9 percent of Black residents were fully vaccinated; this June, those rates are 58 and 56 percent, respectively. However, a challenge still remains: vaccinating Black residents under the age of 25 against COVID-19. According to the District’s own data, the percentage of Black and White residents over 25 who have completed the primary series of a COVID vaccine differs by a single point. For the youngest adults, those in the 18 to 24 range, 41 percent of Black residents have been vaccinated compared to 44 percent of their peers. However, the disparity increases as the data skews younger. “We have even more African Americans being vaccinated, many because of job requirements,” acknowledged Ward 7 Councilmember Vincet Gray (D) who chairs the DC Council Committee of Health. He said he is confident there will continue to be growth in the rate of vaccinations amongst African Americans. “The real test,” Gray 22
EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM
by Elizabeth O’Gorek
has 70 days to submit proof of vaccination. Right now, only 59 percent of Black students aged 12 to 15 are vaccinated, compared to 94 percent of their White peers; 26 percent of their elementary-aged siblings from 5 to 11 years are vaccinated, compared to 59 percent of white kids the same age.
Vaccine Insufficiency
The law requires students attending DC Public Schools to be up to date with vaccinations by 20 days after the start of school, or by Sept. 19. However, at a June 6 press conference, Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) encouraged parents to do so as early as possible. COVID vaccines are only one of the immunizations District officials want kids to have when classes resume in DC’s public and public charter schools. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, families stayed home from pediatrician offices, missing required immunizations. The city was lenient over the past two years, wanting to ensure kids were in class again after being out so long. At a May meeting of the Healthy Youth & Schools Commission, commissars were told that around 20,000 students —a little more than one-fifth of the 93,000 students enrolled in District public schools —could be removed
said, “will be for our school children.” In December, 2021 DC Council passed a bill requiring that as of the start of the 2022-23 school year, the COVID-19 vaccine be required for school enrollment and attendance in the District of Columbia —but only for those students in age group for which a COVID-19 vaccination has been fully approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As of June 2022, fully-approved COVID-19 vaccines are available for individuals aged 16 and older. Only 58 percent of Black students aged 16 to 17 are vaccinated, compared to 88 percent of their white peers. For them, this could be a real problem; they will need to provide proof of vaccination within twenty days of the start of class. The vaccine has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) but still awaits full approval from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for kids aged 15 and under. So, the school COVID vaccine requirement does not apply to those students. However, District officials are still encouraging school-aged kids to get vaccinated in order to prevent outbreaks and ensure that everyone stays safe and in the classroom. If the student has a birthday Mayor Muriel Bowser holds a small boy as he receives the COVID-19 vaccine at and becomes eligible, or if a vaccine is apMary’s Center (3912 Georgia Ave. NW) Nov. 3, 2021. Courtesy: Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser proved for a new age group, the student
