ROCKVILLE, Md. — Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said Wednesday during his weekly COVID-19 briefing that he’ll keep moving ahead with a plan to create a mass vaccination site at Montgomery College in Germantown, even though Governor Larry Hogan called Monday's announcement of the plans “premature”.
According to the latest data from Maryland’s Health Department, more than 230,000 Montgomery County residents have received at least one dose of vaccine which is the most of any county in Maryland by far.
Montgomery County’s vaccination rate is nearly 22% of its population receiving the first dose -- the statewide total is 21%. The county, according to recent data, is the state's largest jurisdiction with nearly 1.1 million residents.
However, Elrich argues that a closer look at the numbers reveals many county residents are getting their vaccine elsewhere, like the Six Flags vaccination site in neighboring Prince George’s County where 33% of the doses are going to people from Montgomery County.
It’s the same at Regency Stadium in Waldorf where neighboring county residents are receiving more doses than anyone else.
“Of the five places where the most county residents have gotten the most vaccines, three of them are mass vaccination sites outside of Montgomery County,” Elrich said, “An Uber ride for the person who doesn’t have a car to make this journey is like $100 round trip to some of these places,” Elrich added as he noted the situation favors wealthier, whiter residents.
It's among the reasons Montgomery County leaders bitterly complain the county needs a state-run mass vaccination site of its own.
County leaders announced Monday that a site would open soon at Montgomery College in Germantown in partnership with Holy Cross hospital.
However, Gov. Hogan said Tuesday that state authorities are in discussions with numerous counties and plans are not finalized.
"There has been no decision made," Hogan said. "I think that was a little bit premature. But we're certainly working with them. We're going to make decisions by next week and we'll let the counties and all of you know.”
Elrich called all of this a disagreement over policy and not politically motivated.
State data also shows that hospital and retail pharmacies in Montgomery County distribute nearly 55% of the vaccine given out in the county. Health department clinics give out only 45%.