Governor announces dates of additional phases for COVID-19 vaccination eligibility; students, staff, faculty asked to explore all options.
All University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to register for and schedule COVID-19 vaccinations at a location convenient to you.
The Maryland Department of Health issued guidance that higher education institutions are prioritized in Phase 1B. At this time, Phase 1 A-C are eligible for vaccines in Maryland.
On March 18, Gov. Larry Hogan announced the remaining dates for additional phases for vaccine eligibility. All people eligible in Phase 1 will be prioritized at state mass vaccination sites as the phases progress, the governor announced.
Beginning March 23, Maryland will enter Phase 2A, which expands eligibility to all Marylanders age 60 and older.
Phase 2B will begin March 30 for Marylanders age 16 and up who have medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
Phase 2C for Marylanders age 55 and up, and essential workers of all ages in critical industries, will begin April 13.
The remaining population covered in Phase 3 for all Marylanders age 16 and up will begin no later than April 27.
The announcement was made after governors were told by the White House Coronavirus Task Force that a significant increase of vaccine supply will begin the week of March 29.
Based on guidance from the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the University System of Maryland, UMB has carefully prioritized all employees and students who have registered, and UMB will continue to apply these prioritizations to new employees and students. Subject to availability, UMB will continue to offer vaccine to all eligible members in its community. However, some individuals may find appointments more quickly through other vaccine sites.
Because this is a statewide guidance, registering for the vaccine doesn’t limit you to visiting the Southern Management Corporation (SMC) Campus Center or a state-operated mass vaccination site. UMB faculty, staff, and students can visit any place in Maryland offering vaccines.
Here’s how you and individuals you may know can sign up for the vaccine:
- Preregister for one of the state’s mass vaccination sites, including M&T Bank Stadium and the Baltimore Convention Center, online at covidvax.maryland.gov or by phone through the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Support Center at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829). More information can be found here.
- 1-855-MD-GOVAX is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Marylanders can call the center to get information on COVID-19 vaccines and identify providers closest to their homes. The center is specifically designed to assist residents without internet access and has instructions in English and Spanish.
- Visit covidvax.maryland.gov to find a private vaccination clinic near you. These locations include CVS, Giant, Martin’s Food, Walmart, Rite Aid, Safeway, Walgreens, and area hospitals.
- Call your doctor’s office for registration.
- Visit your local library and speak to a resource librarian if you need assistance with navigating COVID-19 registration websites or setting up an email address using a library’s computer.
- Visit the Maryland Vaccine Hunters Facebook group for registration tips and availability. This group of residents is tracking appointment openings and policies across the state.
- Visit the @MDVaxAlerts Twitter feed or mdvax.info, a website created by a University of Maryland, College Park student that tracks feeds from websites to alert you when appointments are open online.
- UMB students and employees can complete the new UMB COVID-19 vaccine form to express your interest in receiving a vaccine through UMB. You will be sent a link to schedule once appointments and doses are available. (The form also allows you to tell the University whether you have already been vaccinated, including reporting your dose information and any side effects, regardless of where you received the vaccine.)
The SMC Campus Center Vaccination Clinic has ensured that everyone at UMB has a chance to get the vaccine, and it has taken the following steps to ensure equity and opportunity:
- All on-campus employees and students have been offered vaccine appointments.
- UMB continues to undertake numerous targeted initiatives to engage with groups that are hesitant to receive the vaccine and to provide assistance and alternatives for individuals who have limited access to technology to register.
- All off-campus employees and students with selected comorbidities (as indicated in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance) have been offered vaccine appointments.
- All off-campus employees and students living in designated Baltimore City ZIP codes have been offered vaccine appointments.
- Remaining off-campus employees and students are being offered vaccine appointments on a randomized basis for as long as supply is available or until everyone has been offered an appointment who wants one.
- Employees and students must register to receive a vaccine appointment through UMB.
UMB is continuing its outreach efforts to help vaccinate Marylanders while also providing opportunities for the UMB community to get the shot.
The University of Maryland School of Nursing is providing mobile units used as vaccination clinics to be deployed and staffed by the Maryland National Guard for rural, hard-to-reach areas in the state, the governor announced March 18.
Also starting March 18, the SMC Campus Center is taking referrals from the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) for certain community members to be scheduled on campus. These doses come from a different allotment from ones designated for UMB. There cannot be a reallocation from one pile to another (for example, the University cannot reassign UMB vaccines for community members, or vice versa.)
The Community Engagement Center (CEC) is putting boots on the ground to get the word out in West Baltimore for how to sign up to be vaccinated through BCHD. This week, students and staff visited Mount Clare and Hollins Market to get residents signed up thanks to the public Wi-Fi hotspots in the community. If interested in volunteering, contact Ashley Valis, MSW, executive director, strategic initiatives and community engagement, at avalis@umaryland.edu.