Jan 11

Jan 11 Phased COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks Announces Outline of Plans to Increase Vaccine Distribution in the County

Source: Additional Information Provided By Community Connections Newsletter. Jan. 8 2021

“We can stop the spread of COVID-19 if we continue to listen to the advice of our health officials. We must continue to work together and practice social distancing, wear masks, wash our hands and limit our travel” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks according to her written statement to Prince Georgians, outlining the plan to ramp up vaccine distribution.

As of Jan. 8, some 5,129 Prince Georgians received the first injections of the COVID-19 vaccine and 47 have received the second dose.

With the number of people still in need of vaccinations and the number of cases rising daily, staff to distribution ratio is ill-matched. Knowing that help is a necessity and priority, Alsobrooks anticipates ramping up efforts of distribution and identifying more staff to support the vaccination efforts.

Staff and volunteers helping to assist in the distribution of vaccines include the Health Department nurses, Fire and EMS personnel, school nurses, contract nurses, and medical and administrative personnel sent by Maryland National Guard.

Though distribution is important, location and accessibility are equally significant. Alsobrooks is making sure infrastructure is in place to quickly administer each dose of vaccines to those needed it most.

The Sports and Learning Complex will be a vaccination site for first responders in the Fire/EMS Department who are eligible for a vaccine and for state employees who are operating the testing site at Six Flags.

In addition, the county will be opening the D. Leonard Dyer Regional Health Center in Clinton on January 18 and a vaccination site in Laurel by the first week in February.

“Over the coming weeks, COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed through a phased approach that will focus on protecting our most at-risk populations first, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state of Maryland.”

Vaccination distribution will be conducted in three phases with the first phase including Phases 1A, 1B, and 1C.

1. Phase 1A: Healthcare workers, long-term care facilities, urgent care staff, dialysis center staff, and first responders

2. Phase 1B: older adults ages 75 and up, childcare workers, teachers and support staff, and critical government leadership for continuity of operations

3. Phase 1C: adults 65-74 years of age, essential workers from sectors such as grocery store workers, postal service workers, and public transit workers.

Visit the Prince George’s County Executive site to view the Prince George’s County COVID-19 vaccine data dashboard for updates on vaccine distribution rates.