Vaccine

Even with two authorized COVID-19 vaccines, availability remains limited. Please note that GW has not been allocated vaccine for our university community. The vaccine available at GW Hospital and the Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) is being administered per D.C. Health guidelines only.

As vaccine distribution unfolds more widely in the coming months, we advise:

1. You immediately accept the vaccine as soon as it is offered to you or becomes available to you. This is especially important for individuals with chronic diseases or who are otherwise part of a high-risk group. The vaccine will be provided free of charge at all sites, but you may be required to pay an administration fee depending on the site and your insurance status.
2. You and your family accept the vaccine through whatever source first becomes available to you, whether your physician, local pharmacy, another place of work, school, etc.
3. You make note of which vaccine you received and remember to return to your provider for the second dose of that specific vaccine.
4. You should not wait for a university-wide initiative to provide you with the vaccine. Currently, it is uncertain when vaccine could be made available to the broader GW community. Should GW be allocated vaccine in the future, we will mobilize our GW Occupational Health program run by the GW MFA along with Colonial Health to mount a distribution campaign.
    

If you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, you should still continue following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others. Regardless of vaccination status, on-campus cohort members should continue weekly COVID-19 testing and daily symptom monitoring.
 

For more guidance on COVID-19 vaccines from the university, please read the latest messages sent to the GW community.

• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine and Information on Virginia’s Phase 1c, January 29, 2021
• Important Update about COVID-19 Vaccines, December 21, 2020

Availability of the COVID-19 Vaccine

Information on Virginia's Phase 1c

 In Virginia’s Phase 1c, essential employees at institutions of higher education are eligible to receive the vaccine. Under this guidance, the university has determined that faculty and staff in the spring on-campus cohort are considered the institution’s essential employees. GW is working with appropriate local health departments and will continue to comply with specific counties’ guidelines. The list of faculty and staff in the spring on-campus cohort will be submitted to Virginia counties as requested by public health agencies.  

Other Locations

Please contact your local health department for information on the COVID-19 vaccine plan in your area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a list of states and territories online. 

Veterans

Members of the GW community who are veterans may register for vaccination via the Veterans Affairs website. 

Event: COVID-19 Vaccines 101

GW experts from the Milken Institute School of Public Health, the School of Medicine & Health Sciences and the School of Nursing discussed the COVID-19 vaccine during a live event on March 2. A recording of the event is available.

Vaccine Research at GW