Not Enough COVID-19 Vaccines Given To Howard County: Official

HOWARD COUNTY, MD —Despite Howard County advancing to Phase 1B, there still aren't enough vaccines being provided to the county for everyone who is eligible to receive a shot. Lisa DeHernandez, spokesperson for the Howard County Department of Health, told Patch that the county consistently receives fewer doses than requested every week.

"For example, this week we received only 1,700 doses, but requested 3,000," DeHernandez said.

So far, 21, 511 total doses of vaccine have been administered by the county health department. Officials ask that people waiting to be vaccinated remain patient.

"If they haven’t already, they should visit our vaccine webpage where they can fill out a pre-registration questionnaire that will provide the health department with their contact information so that when we are holding clinics we can make them aware. We would also advise that they should keep an eye on the state’s vaccine website in order to search for other vaccination clinics near them. Realizing vaccine is in low supply everywhere, it may take time to be vaccinated," DeHernandez advised.

For those who have been able to receive their vaccine, the vaccination process in Howard County has gone smoothly, DeHernandez said.

"As with any growing process, there are lessons learned. We have made process and venue improvements to ensure that our clinic patients have a positive and safe experience," DeHernandez said.

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.

As of Monday, Howard County has a total of 14,842 positive new coronavirus cases, according to the Howard County Health Department, and 214 deaths. The state has 364,553 confirmed cases and 7,193 deaths total, reports the Maryland Department of Health. More than 33,187 people have been hospitalized to date.