The new COVID-19 vaccine could begin arriving in Maryland as soon as next week. Gov. Larry Hogan and the state’s top public health official said Tuesday, they expect an initial 155,000 doses, up to a total of 300,000 doses by the end of the month.
Reporter Rachel Baye speaks with Nathan Sterner about what Marylanders should expect in the coming weeks and months.
Explain the initial rollout of the vaccine. Who will get the first doses?
Once the vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the first batch will go to health care workers; staff and residents at long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes; and first responders. The state is calling this “phase 1A.”
But Hogan said the state’s initial batch won’t be nearly enough for everyone in those groups.
“I would caution Marylanders to remember that our initial allocation will only be 155,000 doses of the vaccine with the possibility of perhaps up to 300,000 by year's end,” Hogan said.
First priority will go to health care workers in hospitals and staff and residents at nursing homes.
When will the vaccine be available to everyone else?
The state is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine who can get a vaccine when.
After nearly everyone in Phase 1A gets vaccinated, Phase 1B will include people considered high risk for severe complications if they get COVID-19.
Phase 2 includes teachers, transit and utility workers, and others who work in “critical infrastructure.”
Phase 3 will include the general population, though only adults, because the vaccines have not yet been tested in children. Phase 3 likely will not be for a few months at least, though no one knows an exact timeframe at this point.
Hogan emphasized that the vaccine only works if people in all three phases get it.
“To be effective, these vaccines need to reach a vast majority of our population and to do so in a relatively short period of time,” he said. “This is by far the most massive undertaking of this pandemic.”
Where and how will people be able to get the vaccine?
Initially the vaccine will just be available through health care facilities like hospitals and local health departments. However, on Tuesday Hogan signed an executive order authorizing licensed doctors, nurses, pharmacists and paramedics to administer the vaccine. Eventually, Marylanders will be able to go to your doctor’s office or local pharmacy to get it.
Jinlene Chan, the state’s top public health official, said more information should be available in the coming weeks, including how people can pre-register to get the vaccine.
How safe and effective is the vaccine? What kind of side effects should people expect?
The two vaccines the state is expecting, from Pfizer and Moderna, both require two doses, administered a few weeks apart, but once you get both, they’re believed to be more than 94% effective.
Hogan emphasized that the vaccine is incredibly safe.
“Lt. Gov. [Boyd] Rutherford and I will both take the vaccine in public as soon as it becomes available to us and we will be leading an aggressive statewide public health campaign urging all Marylanders to get vaccinated,” Hogan said.
Chan said about 10 to 15% of people experienced what she called “mild to moderate” side effects, such as fever, headache and muscle or joint aches. But most people in the large clinical trials did not experience any side effects.
Let’s say I get the vaccine. Can I stop wearing a mask everywhere and social distancing?
Not quite. Chan said the vaccine will protect you once you get it, but not everyone else.
“We believe that it will still be important for everyone to wear a mask and practice safe social distancing and hand washing to prevent potential transfer or spread of disease to people who are unvaccinated,” Chan said Tuesday.
