Sunday, July 14, 2019

(Washington, DC) On Monday, July 15, at 11:30 am, Mayor Bowser will highlight the importance of immunizations for children and teens attending schools in Washington, DC. Specifically, as part of the #dontwaitvaccinate campaign, the Mayor will urge parents to ensure their children and teens are up-to-date on the measles vaccine and announce sites across DC where families can access free immunizations.

According to the latest preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,109 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 28 states from January 1 to July 3, 2019. While there have been no reported cases in the District, cases have been reported in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania – states with high numbers of commuters to and from the District. To prevent measles from spreading in a community, 95% of the population should be vaccinated. However, the vaccination rate at DC Public Schools and DC Public Charter Schools is 93%, with even lower rates at the District’s private (92%) and parochial schools (87%).

Learn more about the 42 community health centers, federally qualified heath centers, and school-based health centers in the District where families can receive immunizations, HERE.[PDF]

When:

Monday, July 15, at 11:30 am

Who:

Mayor Muriel Bowser
Paul Kihn, Deputy Mayor for Education
Wayne Turnage, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services
Dr. LaQuandra S. Nesbitt, Director DC Department of Health (DC Health)
Dr. Lewis Ferebee, DC Public Schools Chancellor
Maria Gomez, Founder of Mary’s Center

Where:

Mary’s Center
3912 Georgia Avenue, NW
*Closest Metro Station: Georgia Ave-Petworth Station*
*Bus Routes: H1, H2, H3, H4 & 70*

All reporters and other media interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP to press@dc.gov. To view the event online, visit mayor.dc.gov/live or tune in on Channel 16 (DCN).