By Carleigh Kenny
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday that three additional mass vaccination sites will open this month so that residents in each region will have access to thousands of shots per day.
“We are using every tool at our disposal to get shots into arms, and we will not rest until a vaccine is available to every Marylander who wants one, so that we can bring this pandemic to an end once and for all,” Hogan said at a press conference.
The state’s vaccination rate hit a record high 35,730 shots per day, Hogan said.
“The pace of daily vaccination is hitting a new high every day, a third safe and effective vaccine is now available, a next potential fourth vaccine is in Phase 3 clinical trials, which is also being made right here in Maryland at Novavax in Gaithersburg,” Hogan said.
As the state intensifies its efforts to fight the deadly COVID-19, the governor announced that the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will serve as senior adviser for public health. Hogan said that Robert Redfield will “support the state’s public health response to COVID-19, including the emergence of new variants; the statewide vaccination campaign; and Maryland’s science-based plan for fully and safely reopening the state.”
Hogan said that Southern Maryland residents may start seeking appointments Tuesday night for Thursday’s opening of a mass vaccination site at Regency Furniture Stadium. The Eastern Shore mass vaccination site at Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury will open no later than Thursday, March 18. He said that Tidal Health will serve as the site’s clinical partner.
Hogan said that the Western Maryland mass vaccination site will be located at the Hagerstown Premium Outlets and will open by the end of the month. Meritus Hospital will serve as the clinical partner, he said.
The M&T Bank Stadium mass vaccination site that is already operating will ramp up ahead of schedule this week to 2,000 shots per day, Hogan said. The Baltimore Convention Center site will focus on underserved populations, and ramp up to more than 1,000 shots per day, he added.
Maryland is receiving an initial allocation of 49,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine and 100% of these doses will be deployed across the state this week, including to mass vaccination sites, hospitals, community health centers, pharmacies, and local health departments, Hogan said.