ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball launched a public-private partnership with Safeway today to vaccinate more Howard County residents, prioritizing students 18 years and older. Photos of the event can be found here,
In Howard County 50% of residents between 18-24 have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Today’s clinic is an important step in reaching a population that has lower vaccination rates, and our hope is many of these young people will encourage their peers, family, and friends to see the benefits of being vaccinated as well. This effort is truly the definition of teamwork – with staff and vaccinators from our Health Department, our school system, and Safeway. Thank you to Delegate Courtney Watson, Safeway, and HCPSS for working tirelessly to make this possible.
Safeway provided 4,000 total vaccine doses to administer to students and residents. 1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine were allocated to the clinic at Meadowbrook Athletic Center today where our students in the Howard County public school system, private schools, Howard Community College and other trade schools in the county, such as Lincoln Tech, are prioritized.
Today’s clinic is operated by the Howard County Health Department with staff support from the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) nurses and Safeway pharmacists.
"Community partnerships like the one announced today are essential for ensuring that vaccine is available and accessible to everyone in Howard County," said Dr. Maura Rossman, Howard County Health Officer. "Now that vaccine is widely available to individuals 16 and older, I encourage everyone who is eligible to make a plan to get vaccinated. If you are already fully vaccinated, reach out to friends, family and neighbors and ask if they need help finding a vaccine appointment or want to talk about your vaccination experience to make a more confident decision."
“Having had three children in Howard County high schools not too long ago, I know how important it is for them to get back to a normal routine, with school, extracurricular activities, and friends; and that was the motivation for me to develop this partnership with Safeway,” said Courtney Watson, Maryland State Delegate.
"I am encouraged now that our staff have been vaccinated, that we are able to turn our attention to securing appointments for students who are eligible and wish to receive the vaccine," said Dr. Michael J. Martirano, HCPSS Superintendent. "This is another positive step towards a return to normalized 5-day, in-person learning in the fall. I appreciate the efforts of all of the partners represented at today's event to help this clinic come together."
“We are proud to partner with Howard County to administer the vaccine to a large number of students and members of the community,” said Amir Masood, Safeway Director of Pharmacy. “Thank you for the opportunity to administer this important public health service.”
“Lincoln College of Technology was one of the first colleges to reopen to students after the Governor’s declared state of emergency in March 2020. Since last June we have mandated that students, staff and faculty wear masks and stay 6 feet apart,” said Cory Hughes, Lincoln College of Technology President. “We also continue to conduct wellness checks and clean work areas before and after being used. We firmly believe that the Howard County vaccination program for students, announced today by County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball and Howard County Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman, is the next and most important step for young adults to take so that we can put this pandemic behind us and return to a more normal way of life.”