At this time, 14.9% of Montgomery County residents have received their first dose of the vaccine and 7.4% have gotten their second dose. If you are 75 or older and have pre-registered with the County, you should have received an email invitation to make an appointment. If you did not receive an email, please check your junk folder and then call 240-777-1755 or use this email to reach the County. While the County Health Department prepares to move to open vaccine appointments for residents 65 to 74, please know there will continue to be opportunities for appointments for those 75 and up. Based on some initial information, the County believes about 30% of those 65+ have already received their first dose of the vaccine through other providers. If you are having trouble getting your appointment for your second dose, please don't hesitate to use this County email for assistance. For homebound residents, the County has partnered with an outside entity and in the last week, vaccines started being administered in the home. 

In terms of school reopening, we understand approximately 6,000 MCPS staff have been vaccinated thus far. According to the school system, about 1,500 educators were scheduled to report for in-person instruction on March 1st and a total of 9,000 staff will return on March 15th. Staff at non-public schools are also getting vaccinated through vaccines sent by the State directly to Johns Hopkins.

For communities that have been most impacted by COVID, the County recently opened three new sites by appointment only: 

• White Oak Recreation Center
• East County Recreation Center
• Chinese Culture and Community Center

We recognize the numbers have dramatically improved in the last few weeks but we must remain vigilant and cautious, especially with the presence of new variant strains. If we all continue to follow the health guidance such as social distancing and hand washing and the numbers hold steady or decrease in upcoming weeks, we expect to receive amended public health orders from the Executive Branch. 

In the meantime, the County continues to push the State for more vaccine doses proportionate to our population, the creation of a mass vaccination site in our County, and for a centralized registration process or website that is clear, consistent, and culturally competent. 

We share your frustration that the vaccine rollout isn't progressing as fast as we would like it and the process isn’t as clear as we would need it, but things are gradually improving. For those currently eligible for a vaccine, the State site to locate vaccine providers is here and please be sure you have pre-registered with the County as well so that staff can contact you should you not be able to secure a vaccine through the private providers set up by the State.