LARGO, MD – Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced today that individuals who live or work in Prince George’s County and wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine must fill out the County Health Department’s pre-registration form. The Health Department will follow up with individuals who have pre-registered with a link and instructions on how to schedule a vaccine appointment, as those appointments become available based on vaccine supply.
“I’m encouraging every Prince Georgian to pre-register for your COVID-19 vaccine so when your turn comes, you will be able to join us in being Proud to be Protected,” said Alsobrooks. “Due to the current limited supply of vaccines, we urge everyone to be patient with this months-long process. We continue to work hard to ramp up our vaccine distribution efforts so when we receive increased supplies of vaccines, we will be able to administer them quickly and efficiently.”
Individuals who are in Phase 1B of the County’s vaccine distribution plan MUST fill out the pre-registration formin order to receive an appointment. Phase 1B includes adults ages 75 and older, individuals in assisted living and other congregate settings, teachers and support staff (higher education included), childcare workers, and critical government leadership for continuity of operations. Individuals who were eligible in Phase 1A and did not already receive at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine must fill out the pre-registration form as well.
As appointments become available based on vaccine supply, the Health Department will email links to those who are eligible and have pre-registered to schedule an appointment. Due to the current limited supply of vaccines, it may take several weeks or longer before individuals receive a link to schedule an appointment from the Health Department.
To make sure that Prince Georgians who are most vulnerable have access to appointments, the County is resetting all appointments currently scheduled after February 9 at the Sports & Learning Complex. The Health Department will send out notices to those individuals and they will be required to fill out the pre-registration form online to be able to reschedule their appointments. Individuals who have an appointment on February 9 or before should keep their scheduled appointment, and they will not need to fill out the pre-registration form. Anyone who has an appointment for asecond dose of the vaccine after February 9 will not have their appointment changed.
For individuals who have appointments, the County is reminding them to bring identification to the appointment, as well as an insurance card if they have medical insurance. For those who receive a link from the Health Department to schedule a vaccine appointment, the County is asking that they do not use Internet Explorer, as it is not compatible with the State registration site. The County suggests using Safari, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or a smartphone.
Phase 1C is still set to begin in Prince George’s County on January 25, 2021. Individuals in Phase 1C and future phases can fill out the same pre-registration form at this time. When the County enters future phases of vaccine distribution, individuals that have already pre-registered will receive a notification that they are eligible, and as appointments become available, will begin to receive links to schedule appointments.
The County has also been working to ramp up vaccine distribution daily. Last week, the number of vaccinations provided by the County Health Department increased by 461%. Beginning Thursday, January 21, the Sports & Learning Complex vaccination clinic will administer 1,000 vaccines per day, Monday through Friday, through the beginning of next month. All of those appointments have already been filled.
In addition, the County will be opening the Southern Regional Technology & Recreation Complex as a vaccination clinic. Next week, the facility will be used to train new vaccination staff. It is anticipated that this new site will open, by appointment only, by the end of next week. The County is also collaborating with the State to open a large vaccination site in the County.
The County is also working closely with partners at Luminis Health-Doctors Community Hospital to offer vaccinations to staff at dialysis centers. This partnership allows Prince George’s County to protect a vulnerable population from COVID-19 when they go to receive routine, but life-saving dialysis treatments. Yesterday, medical partners at University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center vaccinated 200 seniors. In addition, the County expects to partner with Kaiser Permanente to help vaccinate teachers.
