Hello Everyone!
Happy and Healthy New Year! May it bring us joy and happiness and endless hugs.
Do you still remember what a hug feels like? Neither do I…
Howard County Health Department started vaccinating group 1A this week- First Responders and licensed health care providers who live or work in the jurisdiction. It looks and feels like a military operation “walk straight, stop ahead, turn left, follow the yellow line!” Vaccine remains in very short supply, but as supply increases, we will move into Priority Groups 1B and 1C. Maryland is adopting a rolling vaccine allocation model. The state will no longer wait before all the members of a particular priority group are completed before moving on to the next group.
PHASE 1A: Governor Hogan announced yesterday that the state has expanded Phase 1A populations: All licensed, registered and certified health care providers, law enforcement agencies, correctional officers and frontline judiciary staff. Phase 1A represents more than 500,000 Marylanders.
PHASE 1B: Maryland’s new Phase 1B will now include all Marylanders over the age of 75.
Phase 1B will include special needs group homes, high-risk inmates, developmentally disabled populations, continuity of government vaccinations, as well as teachers, child care and education staff.
This revised Phase 1B now includes approximately 860,000 more Marylanders. Based on the current rate of allocation, state officials anticipate Maryland being able to move into Phase 1B by the end of January.
TEACHERS: The Maryland State Department of Education will begin coordinating with county school systems to get teachers and critical staff vaccinated during Phase 1B.
PHASE 1C: Maryland’s new Phase 1C includes all Marylanders aged 65 to 74 and workers in additional critical sectors including grocery stores, public transit, agricultural production and manufacturing.
Phase 1C now includes another 772,000 Marylanders and the state expects to be able to move into this phase sometime in March.
PHASE 2: Maryland’s newly updated Phase 2 will include Marylanders ages 16 to 64 who are at increased risk of COVID-19, as well as essential workers in critical utilities and other sectors. This includes another 1.1 million Marylanders.
Updated vaccine information is being posted at: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Health/MM-Alerts-and-Recalls/COVID-19-Vaccine
As more vaccine becomes available, additional clinics will be opened. We have registered our practice to vaccinate patients in the office, but it is still unclear at what point in time vaccine will be allocated to the individual doctor’s offices.
Currently two vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA, both require 2 doses with intervals of 3 weeks and 4 weeks respectively:
- Pfizer Vaccine (age 16 years and older)
- Moderna Vaccine (age 18 years and older)
Information about these vaccines can be found at:
https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and- response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/covid-19-vaccines
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/vaccines/index.html
And I saved the best for last!
Watch this 79 year old Louisianan, who is brilliant and funny and everything I want to be when I am 79!
Thank you Susan C. for sharing this with me!
Be safe. Be patient. We are almost there!
With all my love,
ZMK
Ms. Weil is a hoot! An example of a great Cajun woman, and I totally agree. I, too, would like to be like her at 79.
Love the video!! Happy, healthy new year!!😘🥳😷
Thank you so much for posting this timely information. It’s nice to have all of it in one place!
Great info, thank you!
Thank you so much for the update. I’m looking forward to getting the vaccine and a return to hugs and in person conversations!
Yay for this lady. I ish more people thought like that and would speak up like that.
I am 1B. Cannot wait. I’m not ready to go elsewhere just yet!
Thanks Z.