This article was updated at 12:09 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2021, to clarify the state’s Phase 2 eligibility.
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues and more providers offer the vaccine to the public in Montgomery County, there are mixed messages of who can get a dose and where.
One confusing factor is the state, county health department and private providers are providing vaccines under different eligibility criteria.
Here’s where you can find COVID-19 vaccines, who is eligible to get a dose with the providers, and how to get an appointment.
Montgomery County government
The county government runs its appointments by first requiring eligible residents and workers to preregister for a vaccine. This places their information into the county’s system, letting them “get in line.”
Once the state provides enough available vaccine doses, the county will contact each specific group by email once they are eligible to receive a link for vaccine appointment.
Who is eligible to sign up for an appointment?
● People in Phase 1A, including health care workers, first responders, nursing homes, vaccinators, and others
● Adults age 75 and older (about 73,000 county residents)
Who is eligible to preregister for an appointment?
● People in Phase 1B (tiers 2 and 3) and Phase 1C
More information on who is eligible in each of the county’s phases and priority groups can be found here.
The county has not posted specific information on Phase 2 (people in critical infrastructure roles) and Phase 3 (general population).
Anyone who makes an appointment but is not currently eligible will have their appointment canceled and will not receive a vaccine dose. The vaccines are available by appointment only — no walk-up vaccinations will be allowed.
State-run clinics
Maryland has opened up its eligibility to residents and workers in Phase 1C, which includes adults age 65 to 74 and residents being currently treated in a hospital and diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Sickle cell disease, diabetes (type 1 and 2). Cancer patients who are currently in active treatment or who are in end stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis are also included.
The phase also includes certain essential workers such as those working in transportation, grocery stores, public safety and manufacturing, among others.
The state has announced that vaccines will be administered through pharmacy partnerships with Walmart, Giant, Safeway and Rite Aid.
Appointments must be made for each location. Vaccine doses are extremely limited through the store pharmacies. Vaccine prioritization is also being placed with people in Phase 1A and Phase 1B.
The locations in Montgomery County include:
● Giant Food, 10400 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda (301-530-3271)
● Giant Food, 229 Kentlands Blvd., Gaithersburg (301-208-8204)
● Giant Food, 1280 East West Highway, Silver Spring (301-565-0575)
● Giant Food, 15618 Columbia Pike, Burtonsville (301-421-4493)
● Safeway, 5510 Norbeck Road, Rockville (appointments)
● Safeway, 11201 Georgia Ave., Wheaton (appointments)
The state is also working on a plan to open six mass vaccination sites, including at Six Flags America in Prince George’s County and the Baltimore Convention Center, by Friday. M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore will also serve as a vaccination site.
Other sites will be on the Eastern Shore and in western and southern Maryland.
Hospitals/health centers
Holy Cross Health (Silver Spring and Germantown)
Holy Cross Health owns and operates two hospitals in the county — one in Silver Spring and the other in Germantown.
The health system is prioritizing people in Phases 1A and 1B. It will open appointments to Phase 1C in the future depending on availability of the vaccines and progress in vaccinating the prior groups.
Appointment slots are released on the hospital’s vaccine website page. Information on what people will need to bring to appointments to verify age or occupation will be emailed to registered individuals.
An appointment email confirmation and specific documentation will be needed for people in Phases 1A (licensure or health care identification), 1B (driver’s license or proof of age for 75 and older) or others in 1B (proof of employment in the qualifying group such as an ID badge, letter from an employer or recent pay stub).
As of Friday, Holy Cross Health has administered nearly 6,000 first doses and 2,400 second doses. That does not include 1,000 doses that the health system provided to the county for a county clinic last week and another 1,000 doses that Holy Cross is using in its primary care practice in Asbury Methodist Village.
Nearly 2,000 of the 6,000 first doses were given to members of the public in Phases 1A and 1B — 53% of which were teachers.
Kristin Feliciano, a spokeswoman for the health system, wrote in an email on Friday evening that the number of inoculations the health system can provide each week depends on how many doses it receives.
“We depend on the advance notice and the vaccine and associated materials in order to plan clinics,” she said, adding that a new clinic will open the week of Feb. 8 to do about 1,000 doses a day.
Holy Cross Health is aligning with the county’s direction on distribution with prioritization groups.
Feliciano said appointments are filling quickly and the hospitals are doing their best to steer people in eligible priority groups to available clinic times.
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center (Olney)
MedStar is working through its own patients who meet the criteria in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. It is also contacting some of its most vulnerable patients.
Residents of the state who are age 65 or older can request a vaccination appointment through MedStar here.
Marianne Worley, a spokeswoman for MedStar, wrote in an email Friday afternoon that the health system is having people funnel through a secure sign-up process, so it has not had problems with ineligible people showing up for appointments.
Adventist HealthCare (Takoma Park and Rockville)
Adventist has opened vaccine clinics at Shady Grove Medical Center and its Takoma Park Alternate Care Site, formerly known as Washington Adventist Hospital.
The health system is following the state’s rollout plans for the vaccines and is providing vaccines to people eligible in Phases 1A, 1B and people who are 65 and older. The rest of the people eligible in Phase 1C are not eligible at the centers yet.
Residents can sign up for “alert” emails to notify them when additional appointments become available through the clinics in Rockville and Takoma Park.
Johns Hopkins Medicine (Germantown)
Johns Hopkins is vaccinating its patients who are eligible in Phases 1A, 1B and 1C and because of a limited supply, is randomly selecting eligible patients to schedule a vaccination.
An eligible patient is anyone who has received care with a Johns Hopkins Medicine provider within the last two years. Those who would like to sign up for a vaccine through Johns Hopkins must activate their MyChart account.
People who meet the criteria will be contacted by email or phone when it is their turn to schedule a vaccine appointment.
A call center will soon be set up to help answer questions and assist with requesting vaccination and scheduling appointments.
Briana Adhikusuma can be reached at briana.adhikusuma@moco360.media.
