ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Governor Larry Hogan said Monday that he expects the CDC to soon approve COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.
In Maryland, that would make about 515,000 children eligible.
The state has begun preparations by placing orders for an initial 180,000 Pfizer doses for children, although other options are expected to be available when finally approved.
While parents await word on when their children will be able to get vaccinated, last week the CDC signed off on Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots for most residents 18 and older.
MORE: Boosters for all three COVID-19 vaccinations now available in Maryland for those 18+
With that, most vaccinated adults can now choose whichever booster they would like regardless of what vaccine doses they initially received.
The move to allow mixing and matching of boosters has caused some confusion, which prompted Maryland to launch a new portal that simplifies who can get what booster shot and when.
Booster eligibility chart here: https://t.co/hiiZXBlhRi
— Michael Ricci (@riccimike) October 25, 2021
So far, Maryland has administered 280,000 boosters. Currently, about 1.4 million people in the state are eligible for one.
Health experts say they are necessary because the level of protection from the initial two doses of Moderna and Pfizer or the one shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine can decrease over time, especially for those with pre-existing conditions.
Breakthrough cases have ticked up as of late, despite the metrics remaining relatively low.
Just 0.055 percent of those vaccinated in the state have been hospitalized while only 0.007 percent have died from COVID related infection.
Right now, 84.9 percent of all Maryland residents age 12 and over have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
