Though first responders risk their lives by fighting fires and crime every day, an investigation by the News4 I-Team found thousands of public safety personnel in the D.C. region may be risking their safety in another way: by declining to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The I-Team found not only are many police, fire and emergency response agencies grappling with how and whether to urge their members to get vaccinated; many are also operating with an incomplete picture of who has received the shot.
The I-Team requested vaccination data from nearly two dozen police and fire departments in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. It found each is tracking the vaccination status of their force differently, if at all. Nearly half of 22 departments said they’re not tracking vaccinations, with some citing privacy concerns and noting vaccines are voluntary.