Ward 3 has secret COVID vaccine sites for Ward 3 Only! Not on the DC register!

[Anonymous]

Would love to see those maps overplayed with ones showing numbers of elderly in this city. But that might eff up everyone’s narrative.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:All vaccines appointments should be made through an (improved) website, telephone and/or customer service kiosk or roving mobile sign up units. Everyone should have the same access according to their category (65+, teacher, whatever). NOT according to zip code. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

The reason they've been breaking some appointments out for only certain Zip codes is because residents of the Zip codes they're excluding from those slots have already taken a hugely disproportionate share of the vaccines. Seems like that would be a problem for any lawsuit to overcome. (As would the fact that only some spots are reserved for certain Zip codes, and the fact that what Zip code you live in is not a protected class.)

Also, PPP is ok with triaging by age or profession, but not by location - though its clear that living in a particular location makes you more vulnerable to the virus. The same yardstick is applied- those most vulnerable go first.

It's not the location that makes you vulnerable, it is your underlying health conditions and whether you live in a multi-generational household. All of this could be triaged for. Simply living in "Ward 8" doesn't make you more vulnerable.

Risk factors, sure. But the Ward 8 patient will be predicted to have a poorer outcome, because living in a higher powdery area is associated with negative outcomes.

This point is completely lost on the Mayor and our City Council. To them, living EoR means you are black and poor and disenfranchised.

There are certainly black and poor people EoR. Being black in itself, or poor doesn't make you more susceptible to Covid. Occupation, living situation, underlying health issues do. They should triage by category, not zip code. Living in a particular location does not make you 'more susceptible' to the virus. It's not like a covid sirrocco blows through Ward 3.

Sorry, "Ward 8"

Way to miss the point. A covid sirrocco in fact does blow through Ward 8, because that's where all the people with the most risk factors concentrate; and the greater concentration of risk means that covid will spread more rapidly. Your argument is like saying "we don't need to send firefighters to the massive fire in Ward 8 because everyon in Ward 3 has fireplaces too!

There are people with the SAME risk factors in other wards. Triage by risk factor, put out the fire. Simply living in Ward 8 is not a Covid Sirocco. The risk factors are.

OMG they ARE triageing by risk factors: age, nursing home status and zip code. They tried opening up the appointments to all comers, and most of them went to people in Ward 2 and 3. Setting aside some extra for certain zip codes makes sense if they're trying to reach more at risk seniors. It's not like the vaccines are going to waste over in ward 8; those are DC residents who are at high risk of contracting the virus, consuming more health care resources to fight it, and having worse outcomes than 65-year old Mrs. Legation Street.

ZIP CODE is not a "risk factor". OMG, what is wrong with your brain??

zip code is a proxy for risk factors. prioritizing vaccine by zip codes with the highest infection and death rate is good public health policy for a number of reasons.

Fully disagree. An old person with a heart condition in fancy ward 3 living with kids who work as, I dunno, a FED called into office and a teacher and have grandchildren in daycare is at exact same risk factor "boat" as their counterpart in Ward 8. SAME.

[Anonymous]

There's a lot of misunderstanding of public health, and the digital divide, in this thread.

First of all, public health is not about individuals. It is about the community. Decades of best practice suggest that using zip codes as a proxy for risk leads to better population-level outcomes than elaborate systems that would assign each individual person some sort of risk level.

Experts have modeled out each of these scenarios, and it is better *for the community* to get the higher risk groups vaccinated first, and we know that certain zip codes have large number of people with significant overlapping risks: dense housing, public-facing jobs, and poor underlying health.

So, yes, at the individual level it might make more sense to vaccinate the 65 year old federal worker in Ward 3 ahead of the 70 year old stay at home grandma in Ward 8, but at the population level, the data modeling shows that focusing on the higher risk areas will save more lives.

Okay, onto the digital divide. It's sort of a misnomer, because it's really a digital + time + access divide. Access to internet is only one factor. The other factors are access to information about how to get an appointment, and time/resources to be online at 6 am waiting for that slot to open.

In general, Ward 3 folks have more digital access, but also more time and resources and access to information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see those maps overplayed with ones showing numbers of elderly in this city. But that might eff up everyone’s narrative.

According to the US Census web-site (2019 ACS-5 Yr), the distribution of population age 65 and up by ward is:

Ward 1 6,102
Ward 2 8,100
Ward 3 14,906
Ward 4 13,275
Ward 5 12,592
Ward 6 10,373
Ward 7 10,620
Ward 8 7,702

So yes, the Wards with the most people are having the most people sign up for vaccines.

But let's try and make this a racial issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see those maps overplayed with ones showing numbers of elderly in this city. But that might eff up everyone’s narrative.

According to the US Census web-site (2019 ACS-5 Yr), the distribution of population age 65 and up by ward is:

Ward 1 6,102
Ward 2 8,100
Ward 3 14,906
Ward 4 13,275
Ward 5 12,592
Ward 6 10,373
Ward 7 10,620
Ward 8 7,702

So yes, the Wards with the most people are having the most people sign up for vaccines.

But let's try and make this a racial issue.

Actually, you are demonstrating why this IS a racial issue. By focusing on where the old people are, rather than where the deaths are happening, you are illustrating that not all old folks are equally vulnerable and the need for a strategy that prioritizes risk factors beyond just age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see those maps overplayed with ones showing numbers of elderly in this city. But that might eff up everyone’s narrative.

According to the US Census web-site (2019 ACS-5 Yr), the distribution of population age 65 and up by ward is:

Ward 1 6,102
Ward 2 8,100
Ward 3 14,906
Ward 4 13,275
Ward 5 12,592
Ward 6 10,373
Ward 7 10,620
Ward 8 7,702

So yes, the Wards with the most people are having the most people sign up for vaccines.

But let's try and make this a racial issue.

Actually, you are demonstrating why this IS a racial issue. By focusing on where the old people are, rather than where the deaths are happening, you are illustrating that not all old folks are equally vulnerable and the need for a strategy that prioritizes risk factors beyond just age.

And mask compliance by Ward:
Where in D.C. people are properly wearing masks:

Ward 1: 80%
Ward 2: 84%
Ward 3: 80%
Ward 4: 68%
Ward 5: 70%
Ward 6: 69%
Ward 7: 55%
Ward 8: 58%

[Anonymous]

Thanks to the PP who has posted data. Much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for connecting dots on Bowser and Ward 4 - I did not know.

And folks, Covid is a serious risk for ALL people with comorbidities - not just POC who live in certain DC zip codes as some on DCUM seem to believe.

The low number of vaccine shots in Ward 7 and 8 match up with the low number of parents wanting their children back in school - now that it has been offered.

Choices have been offered and rejected. Sometimes equity is available only to those who CHOOSE it.

Oh, stop. The whole point of this thread is that Ward 3 residents are super aggressive about getting the vaccine. Thank god racist simpletons like you aren't in charge of making health policy decisions.

"super agressive"--wow, that is some flavored language there!

Hilarious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see those maps overplayed with ones showing numbers of elderly in this city. But that might eff up everyone’s narrative.

According to the US Census web-site (2019 ACS-5 Yr), the distribution of population age 65 and up by ward is:

Ward 1 6,102
Ward 2 8,100
Ward 3 14,906
Ward 4 13,275
Ward 5 12,592
Ward 6 10,373
Ward 7 10,620
Ward 8 7,702

So yes, the Wards with the most people are having the most people sign up for vaccines.

But let's try and make this a racial issue.

I'm not sure if there's more recent data, but initially higher percentages of people over 65 were getting vaccinated in the wealthier and whiter wards (https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/506172/new-residency-data-for-vaccinations-is-concerning/) the larger numbers of 65+ residents don't explain that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of misunderstanding of public health, and the digital divide, in this thread.

First of all, public health is not about individuals. It is about the community. Decades of best practice suggest that using zip codes as a proxy for risk leads to better population-level outcomes than elaborate systems that would assign each individual person some sort of risk level.

Experts have modeled out each of these scenarios, and it is better *for the community* to get the higher risk groups vaccinated first, and we know that certain zip codes have large number of people with significant overlapping risks: dense housing, public-facing jobs, and poor underlying health.

So, yes, at the individual level it might make more sense to vaccinate the 65 year old federal worker in Ward 3 ahead of the 70 year old stay at home grandma in Ward 8, but at the population level, the data modeling shows that focusing on the higher risk areas will save more lives.

Okay, onto the digital divide. It's sort of a misnomer, because it's really a digital + time + access divide. Access to internet is only one factor. The other factors are access to information about how to get an appointment, and time/resources to be online at 6 am waiting for that slot to open.

In general, Ward 3 folks have more digital access, but also more time and resources and access to information.

Can we please dispense with the Ward 8 is a disheveled, no internet, no access, no time, no health care no jobs, no food Ward narrative? Please?

All of these things mentioned in this thread about Ward 8 are true by varying percentages. Ward 8 has homes and restaurants and jobs and schools and internet, and incredibly... Health insurance, just like all of the other Wards do. Guess what? It also has white and other non black ethnic groups (go ahead and jump on me for misusing ethnic)

To say that a Ward 8 grandma did not sign up for a vaccine because of any of these reasons is simply trying to explain a problem away without knowing what you are talking about. It is like an undergrad writing a paper without conducting a study. Buzz words will get your story published but that does not mean there is any meat on that bone.

In this case all of the cross Ward studies show Ward 8 way behind in every measurable means of COVID policy compliance (masks ETC). When was the last time you walked through a Ward 8 neighborhood and saw anything close to the 58% compliance that the studies found? But again those are only the people out and about.

To try and say that Ward 8 is still not signing up for shots even after the shaping policies implemented by the City Council is due to a digital divide or super eager residents from Wards 3 and 4 is ignoring the data.

Ward 8 residents, statistically, do not want to get administered the COVID vaccine. They do not want to wear their masks.

From the data it looks like those who are interested in the shots have managed to sign up and receive them.

It genuinely looks like the number one issue that can be addressed that would make a difference is not opening another vaccination point in the Ward but funding a concerted effort to address COVID and the benefits of a vaccine and personal protective equipment. The population obviously does not like what you are selling right now. So you need to create a better sales pitch. Don't look for esoteric reasons why grandma might have missed a computer literacy class and did not know how to pass a CAPTCHA test. Find out why she did not want to register in the first place and address that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to see those maps overplayed with ones showing numbers of elderly in this city. But that might eff up everyone’s narrative.

According to the US Census web-site (2019 ACS-5 Yr), the distribution of population age 65 and up by ward is:

Ward 1 6,102
Ward 2 8,100
Ward 3 14,906
Ward 4 13,275
Ward 5 12,592
Ward 6 10,373
Ward 7 10,620
Ward 8 7,702

So yes, the Wards with the most people are having the most people sign up for vaccines.

But let's try and make this a racial issue.

I'm not sure if there's more recent data, but initially higher percentages of people over 65 were getting vaccinated in the wealthier and whiter wards (https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/506172/new-residency-data-for-vaccinations-is-concerning/) the larger numbers of 65+ residents don't explain that.

Nothing explains the numbers that signed up in Ward 8 initially (94) until you interview the residents. DCHealth did a good job of that. Do you know what they found? A digital divide? No. Ward 8 residents don't want the vaccine. That is the challenge that DCHealth can tackle, not reshaping policy to fix an issue that doesn't exist.

So they did try and fix the issue through weird zip code policy and the whopping result was another 400 people inoculated over ten plus days! Again, do you think digital divide is the issue or can we finally start addressing the elephant in the room.

Ward 8 does not trust or want the vaccine... Yet. Maybe we can finally start a cross city education campaign... Finally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of misunderstanding of public health, and the digital divide, in this thread.

First of all, public health is not about individuals. It is about the community. Decades of best practice suggest that using zip codes as a proxy for risk leads to better population-level outcomes than elaborate systems that would assign each individual person some sort of risk level.

Experts have modeled out each of these scenarios, and it is better *for the community* to get the higher risk groups vaccinated first, and we know that certain zip codes have large number of people with significant overlapping risks: dense housing, public-facing jobs, and poor underlying health.

So, yes, at the individual level it might make more sense to vaccinate the 65 year old federal worker in Ward 3 ahead of the 70 year old stay at home grandma in Ward 8, but at the population level, the data modeling shows that focusing on the higher risk areas will save more lives.

Okay, onto the digital divide. It's sort of a misnomer, because it's really a digital + time + access divide. Access to internet is only one factor. The other factors are access to information about how to get an appointment, and time/resources to be online at 6 am waiting for that slot to open.

In general, Ward 3 folks have more digital access, but also more time and resources and access to information.

Can we please dispense with the Ward 8 is a disheveled, no internet, no access, no time, no health care no jobs, no food Ward narrative? Please?

All of these things mentioned in this thread about Ward 8 are true by varying percentages. Ward 8 has homes and restaurants and jobs and schools and internet, and incredibly... Health insurance, just like all of the other Wards do. Guess what? It also has white and other non black ethnic groups (go ahead and jump on me for misusing ethnic)

To say that a Ward 8 grandma did not sign up for a vaccine because of any of these reasons is simply trying to explain a problem away without knowing what you are talking about. It is like an undergrad writing a paper without conducting a study. Buzz words will get your story published but that does not mean there is any meat on that bone.

In this case all of the cross Ward studies show Ward 8 way behind in every measurable means of COVID policy compliance (masks ETC). When was the last time you walked through a Ward 8 neighborhood and saw anything close to the 58% compliance that the studies found? But again those are only the people out and about.

To try and say that Ward 8 is still not signing up for shots even after the shaping policies implemented by the City Council is due to a digital divide or super eager residents from Wards 3 and 4 is ignoring the data.

Ward 8 residents, statistically, do not want to get administered the COVID vaccine. They do not want to wear their masks.

From the data it looks like those who are interested in the shots have managed to sign up and receive them.

It genuinely looks like the number one issue that can be addressed that would make a difference is not opening another vaccination point in the Ward but funding a concerted effort to address COVID and the benefits of a vaccine and personal protective equipment. The population obviously does not like what you are selling right now. So you need to create a better sales pitch. Don't look for esoteric reasons why grandma might have missed a computer literacy class and did not know how to pass a CAPTCHA test. Find out why she did not want to register in the first place and address that.

And you could simply reserve some more appointments for the ward 8 grammas so that more of them get the shot. Which is what they are doing. An easy free intervention to go along with education and outreach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a lot of misunderstanding of public health, and the digital divide, in this thread.

First of all, public health is not about individuals. It is about the community. Decades of best practice suggest that using zip codes as a proxy for risk leads to better population-level outcomes than elaborate systems that would assign each individual person some sort of risk level.

Experts have modeled out each of these scenarios, and it is better *for the community* to get the higher risk groups vaccinated first, and we know that certain zip codes have large number of people with significant overlapping risks: dense housing, public-facing jobs, and poor underlying health.

So, yes, at the individual level it might make more sense to vaccinate the 65 year old federal worker in Ward 3 ahead of the 70 year old stay at home grandma in Ward 8, but at the population level, the data modeling shows that focusing on the higher risk areas will save more lives.

Okay, onto the digital divide. It's sort of a misnomer, because it's really a digital + time + access divide. Access to internet is only one factor. The other factors are access to information about how to get an appointment, and time/resources to be online at 6 am waiting for that slot to open.

In general, Ward 3 folks have more digital access, but also more time and resources and access to information.

Can we please dispense with the Ward 8 is a disheveled, no internet, no access, no time, no health care no jobs, no food Ward narrative? Please?

All of these things mentioned in this thread about Ward 8 are true by varying percentages. Ward 8 has homes and restaurants and jobs and schools and internet, and incredibly... Health insurance, just like all of the other Wards do. Guess what? It also has white and other non black ethnic groups (go ahead and jump on me for misusing ethnic)

To say that a Ward 8 grandma did not sign up for a vaccine because of any of these reasons is simply trying to explain a problem away without knowing what you are talking about. It is like an undergrad writing a paper without conducting a study. Buzz words will get your story published but that does not mean there is any meat on that bone.

In this case all of the cross Ward studies show Ward 8 way behind in every measurable means of COVID policy compliance (masks ETC). When was the last time you walked through a Ward 8 neighborhood and saw anything close to the 58% compliance that the studies found? But again those are only the people out and about.

To try and say that Ward 8 is still not signing up for shots even after the shaping policies implemented by the City Council is due to a digital divide or super eager residents from Wards 3 and 4 is ignoring the data.

Ward 8 residents, statistically, do not want to get administered the COVID vaccine. They do not want to wear their masks.

From the data it looks like those who are interested in the shots have managed to sign up and receive them.

It genuinely looks like the number one issue that can be addressed that would make a difference is not opening another vaccination point in the Ward but funding a concerted effort to address COVID and the benefits of a vaccine and personal protective equipment. The population obviously does not like what you are selling right now. So you need to create a better sales pitch. Don't look for esoteric reasons why grandma might have missed a computer literacy class and did not know how to pass a CAPTCHA test. Find out why she did not want to register in the first place and address that.

And you could simply reserve some more appointments for the ward 8 grammas so that more of them get the shot. Which is what they are doing. An easy free intervention to go along with education and outreach.

Ward 8 grammas DONT WANT THE SHOT. There are spots available for them to register. They went to Ward 4 grammas.

You could prevent seven of eight wards from registering and Ward 8 still would not sign up in great numbers. SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.

Stop making this about the Ward 3'ers driving their Tesla's to Ward 8 to get a COVID shot. Figure out how to educate Ward 8.

[Anonymous]

What education program would you suggest?

These Wards are not without resources - as noted by a prior PP.

On TV - every single politician is rolling up their sleeves to "show" how safe vaccines are. Constant information from CDC and other internet sources on how safe vaccine is and how vulnerable populations need to get it.

The Senior Centers - all located in these Wards are distribution sites - so presumably there is access to a person or persons who have solid knowledge about the vaccines.

"Education"? Hell, DCPS aren't even educating the elementary school kids!!

Put resources where they will have an impact.

[Anonymous]

PP it is far easier to blame DC's problems on Ward 3 rather than making hard decisions and addressing hard fact. It is like DCUM. We all love a good argument, but nobody is going to call the Mayor's office.

Yelling at Ward 3 is fun. Fixing Ward 8 shortfalls is hard, expensive and doesn't immediately result in votes.