The COVID-19 vaccine was approved last week by the FDA.
Annapolis, Md (KM) The Moderna vaccine against the COVID-19 virus is being shipped to Maryland. That’s according to the Governor’s office.
The vaccine was granted emergency use authorization last week by the US Food and Drug Administration. With this allotment, Maryland will have more than 191,000 coronavirus vaccine doses. and that number includes the shipments from Pfizer, officials say.
“As laid out in our statewide vaccination plan, our earliest vaccinations are focused on our front line health care workers, the residents and staff of nursing homes,” says Governor Larry Hogan in a statement. “We encourage hospitals and local health departments to get our critical front line health care workers vaccinated safely as quickly as possible.”
Under the state’s vaccination plan, every hospital in every region of Maryland will receive a supply of the vaccines based on the number of high-risk staff as reported by the Maryland Hospital Association. Once the shipments are complete, state officials say, there will be enough doses to vaccinate about 90% of the front line hospital staff. Administering the vaccine is each hospital’s responsibly.
State health officials say each nursing home and assisted living facility has signed up to have their residents and staff vaccinated. CVS and Walgreen locations in Maryland are receiving the vaccine shipments. The administration of the vaccines to residents and employees is expected to begin later this week.
Local Health Departments around Maryland will each receive 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine to be administered to first responders. State officials urge local health officers to begin vaccinating their vaccination teams as soon as possible.
Even though vaccines are enroute, health officials say it may take several days for the shipments to be completed over the course of the week.
By Kevin McManus