MoCo Has Fully Vaccinated 3.5% Of People; Confirmed Cases Hit 62K

SILVER SPRING, MD — Montgomery County recorded 143 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, raising its total number of infections since March to 62,085.

Health officials also reported 11 new deaths linked to the virus overnight. The county's death toll now sits at 1,348.

The latest fatality count does not include the 45 others whose deaths were linked to the virus but never confirmed by a lab test. For now, they are considered "probable deaths."

Montgomery County — which is home to roughly 1 million people — continues to have the highest number of deaths in the state. It also has the second-highest number of confirmed cases, after Prince George's County, which has 71,586, according to the latest figures.

Across Maryland, there have been 373,966 coronavirus cases, 7,479 confirmed deaths, and 182 "probable deaths." Of the 1,048 patients being hospitalized for the disease statewide, 279 are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Vaccinations in the County

The county gets its vaccine supply from the state. And the state gets its supply from the federal government. At this time, the federal government is giving Maryland about 12,000 doses per day.

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).

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).

As of Thursday, the county's health department reported that 115,677 residents — or roughly 11 percent of the local population — have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 37,184 residents — or about 3.5 percent — are fully vaccinated.

Three-quarters of the vaccines distributed to the county come from Moderna. The rest are produced by Pfizer.

Moderna vs. Pfizer

In short: the vaccines are more alike than they are different.

They both deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) — a genetic recipe that teaches your body how to build the spike protein found on the surface of the coronavirus. If the real virus enters the body, your immune system will recognize it and know how to fight it.

Moderna and Pfizer's vaccines require two shots. The difference: Pfizer's vaccine must be stored in ultra-low temperature freezers. Moderna's vaccine needs to be frozen, too — just not at minus 70 degrees Celcius.

Both drug companies claim their vaccine candidate is highly effective. Moderna says its vaccine has an efficacy rate of 94.1 percent, while Pfizer reports its vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95 percent.

No serious side effects were reported. Some mild side effects that were reported in clinical trials include muscle and joint pain, fatigue, chills, fever, and headaches.

Moderna's vaccine is for people 18 years old and up. Pfizer's vaccine is authorized for people 16 and older.

Inclement Weather Puts a Freeze on Vaccines

All COVID-19 vaccine appointments at Montgomery County-run clinics are canceled Thursday due to inclement weather.

Appointments at Richard Montgomery and Quince Orchard high schools were automatically rescheduled for this weekend.

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