One million vaccine doses administered in Maryland

By Madeline Stewart
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

More than 1 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday.

Health officials estimated 2.1 million Marylanders are eligible for the vaccine within the current stage of the vaccination plan, which includes adults 65 and older and critical workers within high-risk settings. Providers in Maryland have administered 94.3% of all first vaccine doses provided by the federal government, and the state has a rolling seven-day average of 27,796 vaccinations per day.

“I want to thank all of the vaccinators—the Maryland Department of Health, the first responders, the Maryland National Guard, our hospitals, local health departments, and pharmacies—and all of the people who are working around the clock to get shots into arms,” Hogan said.

“Even with this good news, this will continue to be a long process for many more months before enough vaccines will be available,” he explained. “The State of Maryland is fully prepared to allocate, deploy, distribute, and utilize every single dose that we are allocated.”

To many of those who have been vaccinated, the existence of the vaccine is a reason for hope.

Evy Gelvar, a Towson University student, was able to get her vaccine through her work in childcare at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, and just received her second dose on Wednesday.

“Getting the vaccine just brought a sense of relief,” Gelvar said. “It’s just one step closer to whatever the new normal will be in the future.”

The state has surpassed 7.5 million coronavirus tests administered, and key metrics have declined to their lowest numbers since November, officials said. The seven-day positivity rate is currently 4.12%, the case rate is 14.2 per 100,000 people, and 1,016 people are currently hospitalized with coronavirus.

Maryland infrastructure allows for between 50,000 to 100,000 vaccine doses to be administered daily but is currently only receiving 12,000 first doses a day from the federal government, Hogan said. The recent inclement winter weather affecting the country also has caused shipping delays, which may slow down vaccinations in the coming days.

However, Hogan said he anticipated positive changes ahead. The mass vaccination site at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore will open Thursday, and the governor said he anticipates the availability of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the coming weeks.

Gelvar said she still plans to wear a mask and staying socially distant, but is excited to worry less  in the coming months.

“Because I got the vaccine through the JCC, a lot of my coworkers are vaccinated too so we have a little herd immunity, which makes me feel safer looking forward to the summer camp season at the JCC,” she said.

Despite current setbacks in vaccinations, the governor remained positive as he reminded Marylanders in his address Friday to remain patient.

“We urge Marylanders to remain patient and to please take the vaccine as soon as one becomes available to you so that we can keep ourselves, our friends, and our communities safe, and that we can bring this pandemic to an end,” Hogan said. “We’re all in this together, and we will all get through this together.”