As vaccine supply to Maryland’s Eastern Shore has increased, so have vaccination opportunities around the Mid-Shore.
“Our vaccine clinics at Chesapeake College and Shore Medical Center at Dorchester are going extremely well, and we’re especially pleased to see more than 150 teens signed up for the Pfizer vaccine,” said UM Shore Regional Health’s regional pharmacy director, Kevin Chapple. “Pfizer is currently the only vaccine approved for 16- and 17-year olds with parental or guardian consent as well as for adults. We’re hopeful that as they get vaccinated, more of their peers will follow suit.”
Photo: David Lumb getting his COVID-19 vaccination from Chesapeake College nursing instructor Nancy Henry and nursing students Arlene Brown and Ayah Alhashim.
Chapple noted that in the first six days of the clinic at Chesapeake College, 615 people were vaccinated. David Lumb, of Stevensville, was one of the first locals to receive the vaccine at the college. “It was quick and easy,” Lumb said. “Getting vaccinated was important for me so I can be protected. I can protect my friends and family, and then finally start going out again whenever we’re able to.”
UM Shore Regional Health also offers vaccinations at UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton, but those appointments tend to fill up quickly. Detailed information about local vaccination sites and registration can be found online at www.umms.org/shore/coronavirus/get-vaccine.
Including vaccines provided to the regional health care network’s employees, providers and volunteers, and those offered through mobile vaccination clinics at employment sites and community organizations around the Mid-Shore region, the UM SRH vaccination team has administered more than 11,000 vaccines (including first and second doses) since January 2021.
“I am both proud of and grateful to our pharmacy team and our outstanding volunteers for their amazing work in helping to protect the health of our community,” said William H. Huffner, MD, UM SRH’s Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs. “With the incidence of COVID-19 on the rise again in Maryland, we are encouraging everyone in our region who has so far been reluctant to get themselves vaccinated to register online, roll up their sleeve and get the shots.”
About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health
As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,200 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.
About the University of Maryland Medical System
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.
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