'A Long Haul': Nearly All COVID-19 Vaccines Allocated To Md. Distributed, Hogan Says, But Majority Haven't Been Administered
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Nearly all of the COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to Maryland have been distributed, Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday, but nearly three-quarters have not yet been administered.
During a news conference Tuesday evening, Hogan said 270,150 vaccine doses of the 273,875 doses allocated to the state by the federal government -- 98.7% -- have been distributed. Of those, 76,916 vaccinations -- 28.5% -- have been given to Marylanders, 11,553 on Tuesday alone.
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Jut under 60% of the vaccines have gone to hospitals, while another 22.4% have been used as part of a federal partnership with CVS and Walgreens and 12.8% have gone to local health departments.
Of the vaccines that have gone to CVS and Walgreens as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership -- 61,425 in total -- just 8,503, roughly 14%, have been administered.
Hogan said he has talked to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar about the slow rollout. He also spoke with CVS' CEO, who said the chain has done almost twice as many vaccinations as have been reported.
To address the delay, Hogan signed an order that required all providers to report vaccine administration data with 24 hours.
Just 1.27% of the state's population has been vaccinated as of Tuesday, the Maryland Department of Health reported.
Distributing the vaccine will be "...without question the greatest peacetime undertaking in American history," Hogan said.
Five counties -- Calvert, Caroline, Howard, Montgomery and St. Mary's -- have distributed at least 80% of the vaccines their local health departments have gotten. Baltimore City, meanwhile, is at just over 2%.
To speed up the vaccination process, beginning Wednesday, the Maryland National Guard will start dispatching vaccination support teams to local health departments. Those teams will be made up of 14 members who will administer vaccines and provide logistical support.
The state's Maryland Response Medical Reserve Corps, made up of retired or volunteer healthcare workers, has found 700 people who will be able to help local health departments expand clinics to 7-day-per-week operations.
When Will Marylanders Get The Vaccine?
Calling the process a "long haul" and a "massive undertaking," Hogan outlined the current federal allocation process. Under current production and allocation rates, he said the state is getting around 72,000 doses per week.
At that rate, the state would have around 1.8 million doses by the end of May -- around 30% of the state's population.
Under the current rates, Hogan said the state could move to vaccination Phase 1B at the end of January and Phase 1C in early March.
The state's vaccination phases have also been updated, moving all Marylanders aged 75 or older and those in special needs group homes, those at high risk and those who are developmentally disabled to Phase 1B.
Phase 1C now includes all Marylanders between the ages of 65 and 74 as well as "critical sectors," Hogan said, including those who work at grocery stores, manufacturing centers, in agricultural production and transit workers.
State officials urged people not to try to jump ahead in the line for vaccines. Hogan said doing so would slow down the process and called the behavior reprehensible.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott laid out the city's vaccine distribution plans on Tuesday morning. He also said he would be making a decision about the city's COVID-19 restrictions on Friday.
WATCH BELOW: Gov. Larry Hogan's Full News Conference
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
