That begins on Tuesday morning at the state’s mass vaccination centers.
Annapolis, Md (KM) More Marylanders are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. During his Monday news conference, Governor Larry Hogan announced that the vaccine is available as of Tuesday morning to those 16 and older at the state’s mass vaccination sites.
“And by Monday, April 12th, all providers in the state will required to allow vaccines to all Marylanders 16 years of age and older,” he said.
Prior to Tuesday, the vaccine was available to residents 60 and older, and those age 16 and up with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe COVID-19.
The Governor said Marylanders between 16 and 17 who sign up to be vaccinated can only receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which is the only one authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration for their age group.
Also, the mass vaccination site at the Premium Outlets in Hagerstown will have a no-appointment line for residents who want to receive the vaccine. Such a line is in place at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center in Salisbury.
But despite this development, the Governor said it’s still a good idea for Marylanders to make an appointment to receive the vaccine. “We want to emphasize that the best way to guarantee a vaccine and to get through the sites faster is to pre-register and secure an appointment,” he says.
Three more vaccination sties will be opening this week in Maryland, including Montgomery College in Germantown, the Greenbelt Metro Station and the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. Two mass vaccination sites will open next week at Frederick Community College and the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. The Governor’s Office says Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen is expected to open the week of April 19th, and the state is working to open the Mall in Columbia site during the same week.
Governor Hogan says getting vaccinated is the only way to defeat COVID-19, and it variants which have cropped up. . “Getting more people vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can is the absolute best defense against these variants and to win this long war against this deadly virus,” he says.
To register for an appointment to receive the vaccine you can go on line to covidvax.maryland.gov, or call 1-855-634-6829. The call center is open seven days a week from 7:00 AM until 10:00 PM.
By Kevin McManus