Rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine has gotten off to a slow and confusing start in Maryland. There have been many questions about who is eligible, frustration that different counties in the state are moving ahead in Priority Groups while others are not, and exasperation from eligible individuals who have had difficulty registering or finding providers.
All of us on the County Council share your frustrations. We are all frustrated that the pace of vaccine distribution has been much slower than originally promised by state officials. And we’ve expressed our concerns to the State on a host of issues -- the inconsistency of vaccine distribution across counties; the need to ramp up vaccinations for teachers and childcare providers; ensuring equity in administering the supply; fixing problems with the state’s online PrepMod registration system; and more.
Last Thursday, the Council sent a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan thanking him for his recent conversation with County Executive Elrich and last week's allocation of nearly 19,000 vaccine doses for Montgomery County residents. This allocation was distributed among several providers in the County, including the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Suburban Hospital, NIH, Kaiser Permanente and Giant Pharmacies.
Montgomery County has remained #1 in the state in vaccine administration -- each week we successfully administer nearly 100% of the vaccines we receive from the State. Our health department remains committed to getting vaccinations to our residents as quickly and efficiently as possible, but we need help from the State to make it happen.
Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services can vaccinate at least 3,000 people a day, but the amount of vaccine provided by Maryland has not kept pace with our requests. In the letter to the governor, we reiterated our need for doses to increase and for a more coordinated approach to registration.
Here are some answers to questions we’ve heard a lot lately.
Who is eligible in Montgomery County?
The limited vaccine supply at the federal level has impacted the number of doses we receive at the State and County level. As a result, Montgomery County Health Department clinics are currently prioritizing our residents in Phase 1A, which includes first responders and frontline medical staff, and the first tier of Phase 1B, which includes residents 75 and older. Individuals in Phase 1B and 1C can now pre-register here to become eligible to get an appointment through the County's Department of Health and Human Services.
You will not receive an appointment right away after pre-registering. You will receive regular updates, and when vaccination appointments are available, you will receive a confirmation notification of your appointment. It is critical that you do not share this information with anyone else because this confirmation is only for you.The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services will not honor any appointments made by others using your designated appointment link.
I need help pre-registering! What should I do?
To pre-register by phone, call 240-777-2982.
What providers in the County are distributing vaccines?
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services:
The State and the County have separate registration processes. If you are part of Priority Groups 1B or 1C, you can pre-register with the County Health Department and they will contact you when appointments are available.
Hospitals:
Hospitals are beginning to hold public clinics. These clinics operate under state rules - not county rules. Their registration is separate from the County’s system. This includes:
Giant Pharmacies
Giant Pharmacies will have their own system for registration and appointments. Giant will receive doses from our federal allocation to vaccinate the general public. Giant is offering vaccinations at four store locations:
They expect to serve around 40 patients per day. Giant is currently taking appointments for people in groups 1A, 1B, and 1C. For vaccine registration, visit: www.giantfood.com/
Why do private providers use policies different from the County clinics regarding who is eligible?
The State has given local health officers the authority to develop policies and protocol for county-run clinics only. Clinics run by the state, which include pharmacies, hospitals and retail partners, such as Giant, must follow the State rules.