MARYLAND — Maryland State Officials are now looking for ways to identify who hasn't been vaccinated, educate them on the benefits of getting vaccinated, and help them find or get an appointment so that no arm is left behind.
The Maryland Senate Vaccine Oversight Workgroup held it's first meeting in a month on Monday to talk about where the vaccination numbers stand and how to get more people vaccinated.
The state's positivity rate has dropped significantly to 2.5 percent. Case rates have also dropped and more than 65 percent of people age 18 and up have received at least one shot.
Health Secretary Dennis Schrader expects that number to reach 70 percent by Memorial Day.
More than three million people in the state have received at least one shot, so far. However, in a effort to get the vaccination numbers up even higher and to encourage residents to get their second shots, state health officials are distributing vaccines to primary care doctors, making a continued push to vaccinate nursing home staff, and doing a lot of community outreach.
Due to fewer people showing up to mass vaccination sites, the state plans to shut down some of those locations and use the money and staff to conduct a more targeted effort of pop-up clinics and mobile vaccination vehicles.
