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To Boost Vaccines At Nursing Homes, State Turns To Mobile Clinics And Confidence Campaign

State officials are undertaking new efforts to vaccinate all residents and staff at Maryland nursing homes, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday.

The plans include at least 30 mobile vaccination clinics each week at nursing homes statewide and expanded efforts to boost confidence in the vaccines among nursing home workers, Hogan said.

The state also is requiring all nursing homes to report vaccination data for both residents and staff each week. Data collected so far has been published online by the state Department of Aging.

The data show that statewide, 76% of nursing home residents and 63% of staff have been fully vaccinated so far.

And it shows which nursing homes have been slower to vaccinate residents. The facility with the smallest portion of its residents vaccinated — just over 30% — is in Pikesville, in Baltimore County. Also toward the bottom of the list are facilities in Baltimore’s Canton and Lauraville neighborhoods.

Referencing a new incentive program that offers $100 to state employees who get vaccinated, Hogan said he is “strongly encouraging our friends in the nursing home industry and in our hospitals to offer similar incentives for our frontline health care workers.”

Hogan also announced $12 million to bolster community-based vaccination efforts. The money will be dispersed to 10 hospital systems across the state.

“As I've repeatedly stressed for weeks now, the fastest way to get back to normal is to get everyone vaccinated,” Hogan said. “If you are not yet vaccinated, please get your vaccine immediately to keep you, your family and neighbors safe, and so that we can put this pandemic behind us once and for all.”

Rachel Baye is a senior reporter and editor in WYPR's newsroom.
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