photo by Ted Eytan
“Dear PoPville,
Just wanted to share an amazing experience I had getting my 18-month old daughter’s first dose of the covid vaccine at the Ward 4 Covid Center on 13th St. this morning (Wed.) The DC Covid website hasn’t been updated yet and I got all of my information from Twitter, so wanted to share our experience in case it helps another parent.
I was expecting big crowds, so we arrived an hour early at 9 am before the Covid Center opened at 10 am and we were first in line.
The wide protected sidewalk and grassy areas provided ample room to roam, explore and keep my busy toddler entertained and we enjoyed playing with the other kiddos with families in line. There were probably six families in line by the time the center opened at 10 am.
We walked right in and were given free masks and rapid tests before walking into the vaccination area. We had our choice between Moderna and Pfizer, filled out a quick form, and were promptly seen for her vaccine. The staff was energized, friendly and they made the experience fun for little ones. They were prepared with Garfield bandaids, stickers, and plush toy prizes for the kids. We waited for the 15 minute observation period and were in and out in 20 minutes flat.
Pandemic parenting has been a doozy and vaccines for under 5 are such a relief! Feeling very proud of DC for a seamless, efficient roll out of the vaccine, and hope that sharing my experience helps other kiddos get vaccinated!”