BOWIE, Md. — After administering nearly 340,000 inoculations, one of Maryland's largest mass COVID vaccination sites is set to end operations Saturday.
At its peak this year, the Six Flags America site was vaccinating nearly 5,000 residents per day, with Marylanders sometimes waiting in miles-long car lines for appointments. But with more than 75% of the state's population having received at least a first dose of a vaccine, according to CDC data, Gov. Larry Hogan's administration has decided to begin phasing-out state-run vaccination sites, as stated in a press release.
"Ramping up these mass vaccination sites as fast as we did helped us crush the curve one last time, and in the process, these sites became models for other states and countries to follow,” Hogan said. “The most lasting legacy of the sites may be the individual stories of the people who received life-saving vaccines, and how much those moments meant to them and their families."
The Six Flags vaccination center was the first of 13 state-run inoculation sites to open in February, which were a partnership between the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Maryland National Guard, Maryland Emergency Management Agency, and other state and federal partners.
In addition to Six Flags, other mass vaccination sites in Maryland include M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore City, Regency Stadium in Waldorf, and Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen. State officials did not disclose when these sites will close.
Residents who have not yet been vaccinated can still receive doses at more than 724 pharmacy-provider locations across Maryland, and availability can be found at this portal.
Maryland also recently launched a $1 Million VaxU Promotion to provide $50,000 scholarships to 12- to 17-year-olds who get vaccinated.