(1/28/2021) Because the supply of COVID-19 vaccines remains extremely limited, Frederick County will continue to make vaccination clinics available only to people in Group 1A of the State of Maryland’s priority pyramid and to residents who are 75 years old and older. As more doses are made available, additional vaccination clinics will be scheduled. Vaccines are being administered by appointment only.

"We are prioritizing our most vulnerable residents to be vaccinated first consistent with state directives," Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner said today. " Protecting our oldest residents will help to reduce the number of deaths and hospitalizations in our county. We will open up our clinics to more people once the supply of vaccine catches up to the demand."

The Frederick County Health Department received 1,900 doses of vaccine this week and expects to receive a similar amount next week. The cohort of people over the age of 75 in Frederick County is about 14,000 people. Data on vaccine distribution can now be found on the County’s COVID-19 dashboard, FrederickCountyMD.gov/CovidStats.

People over 75 can register online at FrederickCountyMD.gov/CovidVaccine. Information about how to navigate the registration process can be found at FrederickCountyMD.gov/SeniorServices. Seniors without internet access can call 301-600-7900 weekdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Any resident interested in receiving a vaccine is encouraged to pre-register with the Frederick County Health Department. To pre-register, visit FrederickCountyMD.gov/CovidVaccine and complete the Vaccine Interest Form. People who pre-register will be contacted by the Frederick County Health Department once they are eligible to register for a vaccination clinic.

COVID-19 Joint Information Center Updates

As of January 27, 12,150 first doses and 1,226 have been administered in Frederick County. The Health Department is now reporting that 14,693 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 221 people have confirmed COVID-19 as cause of death.

Update on COVID-19 Vaccine: Vaccine Received this week: 1,900 first doses

Currently Vaccinating: Frederick County is currently vaccinating people in group 1A and those who are 75 years and older who live or work in Frederick County.

Changes in process – Pre-Registration System: This week, we launched a pre-registration form that allows our residents interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to be on an official county list. This Vaccine Interest Form is open for everyone who lives and works in Frederick County. Please complete this form yourself, and help any friends, neighbors, or family members to complete the form. To fill out the pre-registration interest form, please visit FrederickCountyMD.gov/CovidVaccine and find the Vaccine Interest Form in the blue box.

• Completing this form does not make an appointment for you to get the vaccine.
• We will contact people who have registered on this form by priority group as we receive more vaccine.
• You will be contacted by the email you provide in the form. When you are contacted, you will need to register for your appointment online.
• You only need to complete the form once.
• It may be several days, weeks, or longer until you are contacted since it depends on vaccine availability.

Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Call Center: Our Appointment Call Center has been experiencing extremely high call volume this week. We understand many of our residents have been frustrated by this process, and we are working on expanding the operations to handle more calls.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• I’ve called the Appointment Line and haven’t gotten through. What should I do?
• We are experiencing a high number of calls to the Appointment Line. Please keep trying to call if you haven’t been able to reach a call taker. We are working on changes to improve the system and will be increasing the number of call takers and implementing new software next week, so the process will continue to improve.
• I’ve gotten my first dose. How do I make an appointment for my second dose?
• You will receive an email to make your second dose appointment within a few days of your first appointment. People who have made appointments by phone will receive help to make their second dose appointments.
• If I got my first dose somewhere else, can I get my second dose in Frederick?
• When Frederick County gives a first dose, the state makes a plan to send us the second dose for that person. If people go to a different county for a 2nd dose, that county may not have that dose available based on state allocations. If at all possible, please get your 1st and 2nd dose from the same county.

Maryland Delegation Members Announce More Than $400 Million to Expand Statewide COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, Contact Tracing, and Testing Capacity

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone announced that the Maryland Department of Health will receive $402,607,440 in federal funding to expand COVID-19 vaccine distribution, contact tracing, and testing capacity.

"Support is on the way for Maryland as we continue to fight COVID-19 and work to eliminate the virus," the lawmakers said. "This new federal funding will help ensure that more Marylanders get the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible and will increase the state’s testing and contact tracing capabilities. Team Maryland will keep pushing to secure additional federal dollars to bring the virus under control and stop the spread of the disease."

Funds include $347,979,565 to expand testing, contact tracing, and other efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19; and $54,627,875 to support Maryland’s vaccine distribution efforts. It was authorized by Congress through the Coronavirus Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.