He says the vaccines are good news, but the state still has a way to go.
Annapolis, Md (KM) A small amount of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna could be arriving in Maryland by mid-December. That’s according to Lt Governor Boyd Rutherford, who made that announcement during a Board of Public Works meeting on Wednesday.
Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday discussed plans to administer the vaccine during an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “Our plan which we submitted to the CDC prioritizes the most vulnerable. So for our front line health care workers, our nursing homes and then first responders. As they come in, we just start working our way down that pyramid of a list. We’re hoping to get 300,000 {vaccines} by the end of December,” Hogan said.
The state is expected to get 155,000 doses.
Even though the production of a vaccine is good news, The Governor said we’re not out of the woods yet. “The worst part of this virus is still coming in the weeks or maybe the month or two to come. And we’re not going to have enough for everyone. So we’re just asking for patience,” said Hogan.
But he said there’s no need to despair. “The good news is the cavalry is on the way. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. But we’ve still got some pain to go through before we get this under control,” the Governor said.
Hogan also said it may be a challenge convincing some people to get vaccinated. “It’s really important that we’re able to convince people that it’s safe,” he said. “Some of the polling shows that somewhere over 50% of the people don’t feel like they want a vaccine. We can’t get this under control unless we get somewhere around 70% or more of the people to be vaccinated.”
By Kevin McManus