Community Corner

Additional Vaccines Requested By Howard County Officials

An additional 20,000 vaccines are being sought.

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County Health Department has requested an additional 20,000 vaccines to help meet the demand based upon pre-registration figures. This week, 4,500 vaccine doses were earmarked for use. But there aren't enough for those who qualify for Phase 1B.

More than 20,000 residents fall into the 75 and older category; 2,000 residents are non-public school employees or childcare providers; and 300 are developmentally disabled adults, the county noted. The Howard County Public School System has identified approximately 10,000 employees who are eligible to receive the vaccination.

In Phase 1C, Howard County has already pre-registered more than 21,000 adults ages 65-74. Pre-registration is now open for all groups in Phase 1B and for adults 65-74 in Phase 1C. Residents pre-register online at vaccine.howardcountymd.gov. Residents who have completed pre-registration will be contacted by email when appointment slots are available for their phase or group. If residents do not have a computer, they can call 410-313-6284 to provide their contact information so they can be contacted when appointments are available for their group.

Find out what's happening in Columbiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will be hosting a vaccine town hall Feb. 8 to provide an opportunity for all county residents to ask questions and learn more about the vaccination process.

“Whether the hurdle is having reliable transportation or access to a computer or the internet to schedule appointments or that you have been traditionally on the outskirts of our medical systems, we will continue working tirelessly to ensure you receive vaccines – and you are not an afterthought,” Ball said in a statement.

Find out what's happening in Columbiafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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