New Prince George’s County vaccination clinic opening at First Baptist Church of Glenarden
Maryland vaccine update
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says there’s 'good news and some not-so-good news' on the availability of vaccines for the state. He toured a new vaccine equity site at a Prince George’s County church on Tuesday as he faces greater calls for more mass vaccination sites, especially in Montgomery County.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A new vaccination clinic opening in Prince George's County is expected to help expand community access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccination site at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden will begin operations on Tuesday and will operate out of its Family Life Center. The new clinic is a partnership between church leaders, the state of Maryland and University of Maryland Capital Region Health.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
Once fully operational, this new site is expected to deliver 900 COVID-19 vaccine doses per day.
"Prince George's County has been disproportionally impacted by this pandemic and the only way for our families, friends and neighbors to get back to normal is through vaccination," said church pastor John K. Jenkins Sr., earlier this month. "With the support of the state and backing of county leaders, we are honored to be able to host a COVID vaccination site focused on the communities that we have been serving for decades and will continue to serve long after the pandemic has passed."
CORONAVIRUS IN DC, MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan toured the new facility Tuesday and was joined by Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
"This is an opportunity to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine to residents in Prince George's County," said UM Capital Region Health President and CEO Nathaniel Richardson in a previous statement. "Partnering with First Baptist Church of Glenarden and Pastor Jenkins is an extension of our well-established efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of our community."
Alsobrooks told reporters on Tuesday that First Baptist Church of Glenarden is the church she belongs to. She says having a site that feels so personal for many is important for the community.
"This location is a very important location," Alsobrooks says. "It is a place where the community feels comfortable, it is trusted. It is very different than going to a football field or even going to a grocery store parking lot. There is something different about walking into a church home."
Scheduling details are expected to be posted online soon: umcapitalregion.org/getthevaccine
Church clinics seek to narrow vaccine disparity
In Maryland, there is a new effort underway to work with churches to vaccinate underserved communities in Prince George’s County. So far, just 12 percent of people in the county have received the first dose of the COVID vaccine – compare that to 20 percent in Montgomery County. FOX 5's Lauren DeMarco has the latest details from outside of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden where Governor Hogan is expected to visit on Tuesday. MORE: https://fbcglenarden.org/vaccine/