COVID-19 Vaccine: How And When To Get One In Montgomery County

BETHESDA, MD — As the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine continues in Montgomery County, there are still many questions about how to get it, where to get it, and who's eligible to receive it.

To address these questions — and help clear up confusion about the vaccine — Patch has created this guide. It provides a rundown of both the county and state's inoculation plans, as well as links to vaccination bookings.

The guide will be updated as new information becomes available.

Know Your Priority Group

Before we dive into how to get the COVID-19 vaccine, it's important to know who is first in line to receive the shot.

The state of Maryland has broken down its vaccination plan into five phases: 1A, 1B, 1C, 2 and 3.

Health care workers, residents and staff of nursing homes, and first responders were among the first to be inoculated. Next came Marylanders age 75 and older, those in group homes or other congregate living facilities, school staff, child care providers, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Maryland is currently in Phase 1c of its vaccination plan, which includes:

• Adults 65 years and older
• Essential workers in lab services
• Cancer patients in active treatment
• Individuals currently being treated in a hospital and diagnosed with COPD, diabetes and sickle cell disease

(A more comprehensive list of eligible residents can be found here).

While the state is in Phase 1C, some jurisdictions are playing catch-up. Montgomery County is one of them.

Amid Scarce Supply, Montgomery County Remains In Phase 1A

Given the limited supply of vaccines, Montgomery County is still vaccinating people in Phase 1A (i.e., assisted living facility residents and staff, hospital personnel).

The county gets its supply from the state. And the state gets its supply from the federal government. At this time, the federal government is giving Maryland about 10,000 doses per day.

"We have the largest population of people in Group 1A, which is the first group we are supposed to vaccinate — the agreed upon, number-one priority," County Executive Marc Elrich said at a media briefing last week. "We still have not been able to get through that group despite putting every vaccine we've gotten into the arms of those people."

Montgomery County isn't the only jurisdiction struggling to vaccine its residents, according to Elrich. Baltimore City — as well as Anne Arundel, Carroll and Howard counties — have not yet moved into Phase 1C.

More information about Montgomery County's vaccination plan can be found here.

Ways to Register for a Vaccine

Vaccinations are being offered through the county, the state, and multiple hospitals.

Through Montgomery County

You must live or work in Montgomery County to receive a vaccine at a county-run clinic.

Everyone must preregister for a vaccine. The preregistration form can be found here. If you need help with the online form, call 240-777-2982.

The county will contact you once an appointment is available. A link to register for an appointment will come from c19vaccination@montgomerycountymd.gov.

You can sign up for an appointment if you are:

• An adult age 75 or older
• In Phase 1A (i.e., a health care worker, first responder, nursing home resident or staff)

You can preregister for an appointment if you are:

• An adult between the age of 65 and 74
• In tier 2 or 3 of priority groups 1B or 1C (i.e., a teacher, childcare worker)

If you make an appointment but aren't yet eligible to receive a vaccine, you will be turned away, according to county officials.

More information about vaccine appointments and priority groups can be found here.

Through the State

A number of pharmacies — including Giant, Rite Aid, Safeway, and Martin's — have partnered with the state to administer vaccines. Locations in Montgomery County include:

• Giant Food
  • 10400 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda; (301) 530-3271
  • 1280 East-West Highway, Silver Spring; (301) 565-0575
  • 15618 Columbia Pike, Burtonsville; (301) 421-4493
  • 229 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg; (301) 208-8204
• Safeway
  • 11201 Georgia Ave., Wheaton; schedule an appointment here
  • 5510 Norbeck Rd., Rockville; schedule an appointment here

With the help of a $219 million FEMA grant, the state is also setting up six mass vaccination sites on the Eastern Shore, as well as in Western and Southern Maryland.

Six Flags America in Prince George's County will open no later than Friday, Feb. 5, according to Gov. Larry Hogan. It will operate as a drive-thru in partnership with Kaiser Permanente.

The Baltimore Convention Center will also begin offering vaccinations by Feb. 5, in collaboration with the University of Maryland Medical System. Officials said the center will continue to run as a field hospital and infusion center for monoclonal antibody treatment.

The Baltimore City Health Department and University of Maryland Medical System will open a vaccination site at M&T Bank Stadium "as soon as we are able to secure a higher allotment of vaccines from the federal government," Hogan said. That will likely be a drive-thru, according to his spokesman.

You can sign up for an appointment by visiting the state's website. Enter your address, ZIP code, or location in the box provided to find a vaccination clinic near you.

Through Hospitals

A number of Montgomery County hospitals are offering vaccines. They include:

• Holy Cross Health (Silver Spring, Germantown)
• MedStar Health (Olney)
• Johns Hopkins Medicine (Germantown)
  • Activate a MyChart account
  • Eligibility requirements explained here
• Adventist Healthcare (Takoma Park, Rockville)

More information can be found on the hospitals' websites.