Vaccines Open To Anne Arundel Residents With These Conditions

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County advanced to stage 2B of its coronavirus vaccination plan on Monday. Residents 16 and up who have a qualifying medical condition or a disability can now get the shot at state, county or private clinics.

This expansion came after President Joe Biden announced that immunization shipments would start to grow this week. Biden's forecast held true in Anne Arundel County, where the local health department is slated to collect 6,050 doses this week. That's 1,650 more than the week before.

"The only thing that can hold us back now is ourselves," County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a newsletter. "Vaccines don’t work when people don’t step up and schedule appointments."

Nearly 16 percent of the county is fully vaccinated, and almost 29 percent has gotten at least one dose. Pittman projected that two-thirds of Anne Arundel residents will get the shot by the end of April.

There is still a backlog of locals preregistered for inoculations with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health, however. Pittman reported that this many residents are still signed up in each phase:

• 1A: 3,027
• 1B: 11,563
• 1C: 15,916
• 2: 27,928
• 3: 13,669

With numbers starting to climb again, Pittman is eager to push through this list as soon as possible.

"Case rates are rising," he warned. "A fourth surge is possible when and where people refuse to wear masks and ignore distancing guidelines."

Who Is Eligible?

In the accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, locals experiencing these health conditions are now eligible for the immunization:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic lung diseases (Including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension)
• Dementia or other neurological conditions
• Diabetes (Type 1 or type 2)
• Down syndrome
• Heart conditions (Including heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies and hypertension)
• HIV
• Immunocompromised state
• Liver disease
• Obesity and overweight
• Pregnancy (There is limited research on the inoculation's effect on people who are pregnant, but the existing data suggest there is a low risk of complications. The CDC recommends consulting with a doctor before getting the vaccine. More information is available here.)
• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
• Smoking (Both current and former smokers are eligible.)
• Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant
• Stroke or cerebrovascular disease
• Substance use disorders

These conditions all increase the likelihood of severe illness from COVID-19. Click here to learn more.

Residents with disabilities who get any of these benefits are also eligible for the vaccine:

• Supplemental Security Income
• Social Security Disability Insurance
• Maryland Medicaid Employed Individuals with Disabilities incentives
• Maryland Medicaid Rare and Expensive Case Management services
• Temporary Disability Assistance Program benefits
• Long-term services and supports through the State of Maryland’s Medicaid waiver and state plan

Next Up

Essential workers plus everybody 55 and older will be eligible on April 13 in phase 2C. Anne Arundel County will open the immunization to all residents 16 and up on April 27 as part of stage 3.

Coronavirus Vaccine Resources

To see when you'll be eligible for the coronavirus inoculation, read Patch's explainer. Check out our how-to guide to learn how to sign up for the shot.

Catch up on the latest coronavirus infection and vaccination metrics in Anne Arundel County with our most recent numbers update. Head to Patch's immunization page to keep up with Maryland's latest vaccine news.

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Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.