WASHINGTON (DC Information Now) — As COVID and flu circumstances proceed to rise within the district, DC Well being is urging individuals to get their up to date vaccines.
“Please, please, please get your flu shot and your COVID Booster vaccine,” stated Wayne Turnage, deputy mayor for Well being and Human Providers and director of the Division of Well being Care Finance.
Turnage is begging individuals to get vaccinated and go away emergency rooms for emergencies.
Wait instances have been extraordinarily lengthy recently so DC Well being is working with hospital methods on options.
“Far too lots of our residents are persevering with to go to the emergency room for what needs to be thought-about low acuity issues,” Turnage stated.
At a pop-up vaccination clinic on Tuesday, Shari Hales bought her daughter a second COVID shot.
“Having skilled COVID, having skilled those who we all know have misplaced, have died from COVID, we simply need to be sure that we’re protected… She simply turned 5. I wished to be sure that she was vaccinated absolutely,” Hale stated.
Vaccinations can assist alleviate stress on employees which can be already overworked and hospitals which can be understaffed.
“We do keep shut communication with our hospitals and to handle any helps or wants that they might have,” Lewis, interim director of DC Well being.
This pop-up vaccination clinic in Adams Morgan is at jubilee housing the place many low-income households reside.
“It’s simply tremendous necessary that we perceive the connection between healthcare and housing. The social determinants of well being and actually proven us that the place you reside is without doubt one of the most necessary issues by way of how nicely you’re and the way life goes.”
Hospitals are seeing fewer circumstances of RSV however very excessive ranges of flu.
“Thus far 170,000 of our DC residents have obtained this 12 months’s influenza vaccine,” Lewis stated.
Lewis says as a result of there aren’t excessive group ranges of COVID, “DC Well being isn’t recommending to mandate masks sporting. We do comply with the CDC steering.”
Whereas there’s no mandate, masking is inspired by docs indoors whereas respiratory viruses are spreading.
DC Well being, representing the mayor’s workplace, can be assembly with the D.C. Hospital Affiliation on Thursday to debate attainable coverage adjustments to alleviate crowding and lengthy wait instances in hospitals.
