Md. Rolls Out Program To Offer COVID-19 Vaccinations To Children
About 515,000 more children in Maryland are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
Governor Larry Hogan said Wednesday that schools, health departments, pediatricians and pharmacies will receive allocations of the Pfizer vaccine for children.
The state’s vaccine equity task force will work to ensure that families in underserved communities will have access to the shot. There also will be a public outreach campaign.
“I know that many parents are relieved, they have been looking forward to this day for many months, and have already decided to move ahead as soon as possible to protect their kids, to keep them in school, and to avoid unnecessary outbreaks and disruptive quarantines,” Hogan said. “There are also some parents who want to do what’s best for their children, but who still have questions. It is important that they get all of those questions answered.”
Maryland health officials placed an initial order of 180,000 doses of the kids vaccine, with more supplies coming soon.
Governor Hogan’s office provided more details below:
Operational Plans for Vaccinating 5- to 11-Year-Olds. State health officials placed an initial order of 180,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses, which began arriving directly from Pfizer earlier this week. The state will receive additional allocations in the coming weeks.
Parents and caregivers will have several options, including:
- Schools and Local Health Departments. In coordination with state health officials, all local school systems have agreed to facilitate clinics across the state.
- Pediatrician and Family Physician Offices. Maryland health officials have worked with the state’s pediatric advisory group to enable pediatricians and family physicians to provide vaccines in their offices.
- Pharmacies. The state’s pharmacy partners will receive allocations from the federal government and will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines for children.
More than 300 providers of vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds will be coming online, with more expected to be added in the coming weeks. To find a vaccine provider, Marylanders can visit covidvax.maryland.gov or call 1-855-MD-GOVAX.
State Support For Vaccinating 5- to 11-Year-Olds. The State of Maryland will provide staffing resources to school systems and local jurisdictions, and will deploy the Vaccine Equity Task Force to ensure equitable access for families in underserved communities and hard to reach areas.
Public Outreach Efforts. The state will begin airing a new round of public service announcements featuring trusted Maryland pediatricians.
