Task Force Has Supported 133,826 Doses Across All 24 Jurisdictions
ANNAPOLIS, MD—The Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force, led by Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, will surpass 500 clinics today. With the support of the task force, more than 133,000 vaccines have been administered across all 24 jurisdictions.
“Maryland continues to serve as a national leader on vaccine equity,” said Governor Hogan. “General Birckhead and her team have succeeded by taking a data-driven approach and building a network of trusted leaders and clinical partners to reach underserved Marylanders. The VETF’s missions will become even more critical in the weeks ahead as we work to ensure no arm is left behind.”
The Maryland National Guard supported Marylanders since the beginning of the pandemic. It’s another example of their dual-mission and, for them, leading an effort such as vaccine distribution is second nature.
“Our team is committed to ensuring no arm is left behind,” said General Birckhead. “We’ll continue to partner with our Maryland communities for the vaccine distribution, ultimately saving lives.”
Governor Hogan established the VETF earlier this year to enhance vaccine distribution and outreach efforts in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Utilizing a data-driven operational plan, the VETF focuses on COVID-19 vaccination efforts for underserved and hard-to-reach populations, including those who may not have access to technology or transportation. These efforts include:
Through these efforts, Maryland has been recognized as a national leader on vaccine equity by the Biden administration and the New England Journal of Medicine. According to Bloomberg, Maryland is one of only five states to vaccinate at least 40% of its Black and Hispanic populations.
Recent VETF clinics include:
The zip codes where the VETF is partnering with community leaders to hold vaccine clinics continue to show a significant improvement in vaccine uptake:
To contact the task force, and learn more about its work, visit governor.maryland.gov/vetf.
ANNAPOLIS, MD—The Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force, led by Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, will surpass 500 clinics today. With the support of the task force, more than 133,000 vaccines have been administered across all 24 jurisdictions.
“Maryland continues to serve as a national leader on vaccine equity,” said Governor Hogan. “General Birckhead and her team have succeeded by taking a data-driven approach and building a network of trusted leaders and clinical partners to reach underserved Marylanders. The VETF’s missions will become even more critical in the weeks ahead as we work to ensure no arm is left behind.”
The Maryland National Guard supported Marylanders since the beginning of the pandemic. It’s another example of their dual-mission and, for them, leading an effort such as vaccine distribution is second nature.
“Our team is committed to ensuring no arm is left behind,” said General Birckhead. “We’ll continue to partner with our Maryland communities for the vaccine distribution, ultimately saving lives.”
Governor Hogan established the VETF earlier this year to enhance vaccine distribution and outreach efforts in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Utilizing a data-driven operational plan, the VETF focuses on COVID-19 vaccination efforts for underserved and hard-to-reach populations, including those who may not have access to technology or transportation. These efforts include:
- Deploying mobile vaccination clinics in underserved areas, areas identified as communities of color, or where there are lower vaccination acceptance rates.
- Working with clinical partners in the most vulnerable areas to provide access to vaccines where the need is greatest.
- Making direct outreach to vulnerable communities and faith-based organizations of all denominations to offer vaccination opportunities, and provide information about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
- Partnering with Maryland’s higher education institutions, including the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to hold student clinics. Held virtual town halls at Morgan State University and Bowie State University to respond to questions about the vaccines and address vaccine hesitancy.
- Deploying a Public Health Education Unit, or “sound truck,” to target zip codes in hard-hit areas. The sound truck broadcasts messages in English and Spanish that promote participation in mass vaccination efforts. The project has included participation from CASA de Maryland, which provided volunteers who distributed 3,000 COVID-19 information sheets and 3,000 free masks provided by the Maryland Department of Health.
- Expanding the state’s multilingual call center to include direct assistance for people having difficulties obtaining a vaccine, particularly homebound patients.
- Reserving vaccination appointments at mass vaccination sites to ensure individuals residing in areas with vulnerable populations or with a high positivity rate are able to secure a vaccine. One such site, the Baltimore Convention Center, transitioned to offering all available appointment slots to Baltimore City residents from targeted zip codes representing vulnerable communities.
- Expanding walk-up lines with no appointment necessary at mass vaccination centers across the state, several of which are accessible by public transportation.
Through these efforts, Maryland has been recognized as a national leader on vaccine equity by the Biden administration and the New England Journal of Medicine. According to Bloomberg, Maryland is one of only five states to vaccinate at least 40% of its Black and Hispanic populations.
Recent VETF clinics include:
- 198 vaccinations in Wheaton with CASA de Maryland
- 172 vaccinations in Camp Springs at Central Baptist Church of Camp Springs
- 78 vaccinations in Greenbelt at St. Hugh of Grenoble Catholic Church
- 49 vaccinations in Pikesville with Bikur Cholim of Baltimore at the Ner Tamid Congregation Greenspring Valley Synagogue
- 41 vaccinations in Centreville at Centreville United Methodist Church
- 40 vaccinations at BWI Marshall Airport for Chimes employees
- 22 vaccinations in Cumberland with the Boys and Girls Clubs
The zip codes where the VETF is partnering with community leaders to hold vaccine clinics continue to show a significant improvement in vaccine uptake:
To contact the task force, and learn more about its work, visit governor.maryland.gov/vetf.
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