ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Governor Larry Hogan and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Monday that the nation's first federal mobile COVID-19 vaccination units will launch in the State of Maryland.
The two mobile sites will provide access to COVID-19 vaccinations for thousands of Marylanders who live in remote or otherwise underserved areas on the Eastern Shore, Hogan's office said in a release.
Appointments will be targeted to people who are socially vulnerable or live in remote areas and will be booked through the health department in the individuals' county of residence. These federal mobile clinics will build on the efforts of the state’s Vaccine Equity Task Force mobile clinics, which began earlier this month.
“We continue to expand our vaccine distribution network to maximize points of distribution in every jurisdiction, which will now include the nation’s first federally-operated mobile vaccination units,” Hogan said. “These federal units will complement the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force’s mobile clinics and help us get more shots into the arms of our most vulnerable populations."
“Throughout this entire vaccine mission, we’ve been fighting two enemies: a virus and the inequities it has caused,” Janice Barlow, acting FEMA Region 3 regional administrator said. “These mobile units will ensure that we reach the underserved in their neighborhoods, where they live, and bring us one step closer to winning the war against COVID-19.”
The 32-foot trailers include cold storage for vaccine doses, storage for administrative materials, staff office space, and generators. Each mobile unit is designed to provide a minimum of 250 doses per day. Schedules will vary depending upon need, however, officials said they are expected to remain in one location for at least a few days at a time.
The initial mobile vaccine mission will specifically target the following groups:
- Workers in the manufacturing and food processing plants on the Eastern Shore, specifically those working in poultry processing plants.
- Minority and migrant populations, and those who may lack adequate transportation to commute to and from a standstill vaccination site outside of their community or place of work.
- Those living in small towns and enclaves on the Eastern Shore.
The mobile units are funded and operated by FEMA and will use trained vaccinators and clinical staff from the county, state, and federal agencies.
The new sites join a statewide network of mass vaccination sites and a growing list of other providers where eligible Marylanders can receive COVID-19 vaccines, including pharmacies, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, and doctors’ offices.