MD Administers 1M Doses Of COVID-19 Bivalent Booster: Gov. Hogan

MARYLAND — More than one million Marylanders have received their COVID-19 bivalent booster since September in order to safely gather and celebrate the holidays, Gov. Larry Hogan and the Maryland Department of Health said Monday.

“Through our COVIDReady plan, Maryland continues to be one of the most vaccinated and boosted states in the country,” Hogan said in a statement. “We are grateful for the everyday vigilance of Marylanders, and the leadership of our GoVAX ambassadors, who have reminded us that we truly are all in this together.”

The state COVID dashboard says 15,393 Marylanders have died from the pandemic; 1,282,108 cases of the respiratory disease have been tallied.

On Monday, the positivity rate was 7.07 percent. About 10,014 tests are being administered daily.

Of those COVID patients currently hospitalized, there are a total of 369 patients; 359 of those are adults; and 10 are pediatric patients. The state said 34 people are being treated in intensive care units and one of those patients is a child.

Residents 5 years old and older are eligible to receive the updated COVID-19 bivalent booster shot at any time. This expanded the state’s COVIDReady campaign to encourage Marylanders to maximize their protection against COVID-19 this fall and winter, state officials said in mid-October.

“Surpassing one million COVID-19 bivalent booster shots administered since September shows that Marylanders understand the importance of staying COVIDReady,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dennis R. Schrader in a news release Monday. “Fighting COVID-19 has always been a statewide effort, and Marylanders have pulled together to protect ourselves and our families against this virus by getting boosted.”

Marylanders can protect themselves from flu and COVID-19 by getting a “Flooster,” a flu shot and COVID-19 booster, health officials said. It’s safe to get both at the same visit and is the best way to protect against severe illness and death.

As always, residents are encouraged to practice basic health hygiene by washing their hands, covering their cough, and staying home from work and school when sick. This helps slow the spread of respiratory illness like RSV, as well, which can be dangerous to small children and older adults and doesn’t have a vaccine.

The state is recognizing the efforts of the state’s GoVAX ambassadors from all walks of life with governors’ citations and a new ad, which will play on WBAL during Thanksgiving programs. First launched in January 2021, the initial GoVAX campaign highlighted around a dozen Marylanders — including former UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Dr. Kathleen Page.

"Marylanders 5 to 11 years old who have gotten their last COVID-19 primary vaccine or any recommended booster shot at least two months ago are now eligible for the updated COVID-19 bivalent booster shot,” Schrader said in a news release last month. “We urge all Marylanders 5 years old and older to get the bivalent booster shot as soon as they can to be COVIDReady and together safely enjoy the colder months and upcoming holidays.”

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and targeting recent Omicron variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading, the health department said.

One of the best ways to stay COVIDReady is by vaccinating and boosting against COVID-19, health officials said.

Marylanders can schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at covidvax.maryland.gov or by calling 1-855-MD-GOVAX.

For more information on COVID-19 resources, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov.