COVID-19 Booster: Hogan Asks All Eligible MD Residents To Get The Shot

MARYLAND — Gov. Larry Hogan is urging anyone eligible for a booster shot to get one as soon as possible. Maryland Secretary of Health Dennis Schrader said that the following people can get Pfizer booster shots:

• people aged 65 years and older
• people aged 18 and older with underlying medical conditions
• people 19 and older living in a longterm care facility
• people aged 18 and older at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting, such as health care workers, teachers and other essential workers.

“If you’re in one of these categories, you should strongly consider getting a COVID-19 booster shot immediately," said Hogan at a news conference Thursday.

Schrader said the state is working on calling and texting people to let them know they're eligible, as well as running TV and social media ads. Their communication team developed a robust plan to get information about booster shots to Maryland residents, he said.

“There is no need to wait to hear from us, however," said Schrader at the news conference. "If you are eligible for a booster shot, we strongly encourage you to get one right away.”

Wegmans and Giant Food pharmacies — along with CVS, Walgreens and Walmart — are now giving third doses of the Pfizer vaccine in Maryland, the companies announced Monday.

Roughly 84 percent of Marylanders over 18 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to state data. Maryland, as a whole, has a high rate of transmission of COVID-19, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Only two counties in the state are not in that category — Montgomery County and Howard County both have “substantial” rates of transmission. COVID-19 patients make up 11 percent of hospitalizations in the state according to Hogan.

"This is important progress, but we continue to press the federal government to issue clear guidance for individuals who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines," Hogan said earlier this week. "And with students back in classrooms, it is critical that the federal government expedite approval of vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds."

Many counties and school districts around the state have reimplemented policies in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, including vaccine requirements for school employees in Montgomery County, vaccines or testing required for student-athletes in Prince George’s County, and masking requirements indoors.

Some mandates that require testing or vaccines for certain workers are going into effect on Oct. 1. Gov. Larry Hogan mandated vaccines or testing for all nursing home and hospital workers statewide, which went into effect on Sept. 1, but some hospitals have made their own policies that require vaccination, without the option for testing instead.

For the latest updates, get news alerts from Patch.