Hogan's Team Flocks To Prince George's To Promote Vaccine

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Gov. Larry Hogan and his team promoted the coronavirus vaccine at clinics across Prince George's County this week. The tour comes as Prince George's starts to speed up its shot rollout, but the county still has the lowest full immunization rate in Maryland.

Hogan kicked it off Tuesday, visiting the First Baptist Church of Glenarden. The facility is vaccinating 200 people per day in its gym, but it will soon administer 1,000 daily doses.

The University of Maryland Capital Region Health runs the clinic in partnership with the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force. The group is led by Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead of the Maryland National Guard. Her team operates inoculation sites and boosts immunization confidence in areas with hard-to-reach populations.

“By harnessing the clinical expertise of one of our world-class hospital systems, the logistical capabilities of the Maryland National Guard, and the trusted voices of Maryland’s faith leaders, this new clinic will serve hundreds of Prince George’s County residents every day,” Hogan said in a press release. “It is a shining example of Maryland’s adaptive, comprehensive, and community-centered vaccine strategy, and one more way we are ensuring equitable access to vaccines.”

These guests joined Hogan and Birkhead during the visit:

• Angela Alsobrooks: Prince George's County executive
• Dennis Schrader: Acting secretary of the Maryland Department of Health
• Nathaniel Richardson Jr.: President and CEO of the University of Maryland Capital Region Health
• John Jenkins Sr.: Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden

Hogan continued his push on Thursday, opening state and private clinics to Marylanders 60 and up. Local health departments will soon decide if their sites will follow suit.

Nearly 25 percent of Marylanders have gotten the shot, Hogan added. The governor also laid out a timeline of when the remaining residents will be eligible for the vaccine.

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I joined Gov. Hogan to tour the new COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden. I want to thank the Governor and his team, Pastor Jenkins and First Lady Trina, and UM Capital Region Health for working to stand up this new clinic for County residents. pic.twitter.com/7yX39iCG92
— County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (@CEXAlsobrooks) March 16, 2021

Lieutenant Gov. Boyd Rutherford was next up. He stopped by the First Baptist Church of Highland Park on Thursday. This is another Vaccine Equity Task Force site.

The clinic, which gets its inoculations from Safeway pharmacies, gave 200 doses of the Moderna immunization. It plans to scale up to 500 shots next week.

“In the next few weeks, we could get more vaccines from the federal government,” Rutherford said in a statement. “It is crucial that we continue building out the infrastructure with clinics like this one, so we can deliver vaccines to people in all communities.”

These officials also toured the site:

• Mel Franklin: Prince George's County Council member
• Jolene Ivey: Prince George's County Council member
• Henry Davis III: Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park

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On behalf of the Maryland Department of Health, Schrader concluded the week with a Thursday visit to a clinic at Melwood. This Upper Marlboro nonprofit employs people with disabilities and is currently immunizing its staff.

“[Today's visit] reassured me that our grassroots efforts to ... to vaccinate underserved and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities ... is working,” Schrader said in a release.

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RELEASE: @MDHealthDept Acting Sec. Schrader today visited @GreaterBaden Medical Services, a health care facility serving minority and elderly Marylanders, and @MelwoodHTC, one of the largest employers of people with disabilities in the nation. Learn more: https://t.co/3yE4IxB69b pic.twitter.com/sNoxC9YHS2
— Maryland Department of Health (@MDHealthDept) March 18, 2021

Coronavirus Vaccine Resources

To see when you'll be eligible for the 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 Prince George's County by heading to our latest numbers update.

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