The Democratic members of Maryland's congressional delegation called Wednesday on Gov. Larry Hogan to improve the rollout of the state's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, citing frustration from constituents and local officials about inefficiency and inequity.
In a letter addressed to the Republican governor, the members said Maryland should make a "course correction" on the distribution process, including offering a centralized, one-stop state website and a phone number accessible to all Marylanders to help them register for appointments; more coordination by the Maryland Department of Health with local health departments; and specificity about the order in which vaccines should be administered among eligible groups.
U.S. senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin signed the letter, along with representatives Anthony Brown, Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and David Trone.
Hogan spokesman Mike Ricci said in an email that state officials hold at least three calls each week with local health officers, in addition to one call with county leaders, and one call with municipal leaders.
"We also had a productive call with congressional delegation staff this week, despite the press-driven tone of this letter," Ricci added, saying that the state would share statewide guidance issued to providers each week with the congressional delegation, as well.
Asked last week about implementing a centralized system, Hogan said at a news conference that the current system is "just the way our system is set up," as well as being how other states handle it and what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.
"We have county health officers and we have county health departments in each jurisdiction and they're the ones," he said. He noted the state was building a state-run vaccination system with the upcoming mass vaccination sites, but presently, "there is no state workforce to go out into these 24 jurisdictions and stick all the needles in the arms."
The delegation's letter comes amid a national shortage in vaccine inventory and as demand for immunizations spikes. Public health professionals and scientists are touting the two vaccines authorized for use in the United States, made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, as widely effective at preventing serious illness brought on by the coronavirus as crucial to the pandemic's abatement.
More types of vaccines, and more doses, could come online in the next few weeks. Until then, the pressure on states and local governments to administer vaccines will remain high, as more people continue to die from COVID-19 complications and the health crisis wreaks havoc on the economy.
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