December 14th, 2020 by WCBC Radio
Maryland health department officials will be distributing COVID-19 vaccine doses in the days ahead.
The rollout will occur in four stages:
- Phase 1A will include health care workers, long-term facility care staff and first responders.
- Phase 1B will include people with higher risk and/or underlying conditions and adults in congregate settings.
- Phase 2 will make the vaccine available to people in other critical essential infrastructure settings
- Phase 3 will make the vaccine available to the general population.
Once the state reaches Phase 3, the vaccine will be given like a flu shot at a pharmacy, clinic or doctor's office. State health officials said maintaining the vaccine will need to be a priority. "Many hospitals have the refrigeration or freezer units necessary to maintain this vaccine as a minus-80 (degrees), but also the shipments of the vaccines that will come in should be able to maintain the vaccine at that low temperature, with the dry ice, for a period of time," Maryland Deputy Health Secretary Dr. Jinlene Chan said.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses given 21 days apart.
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