The Complete Guide for Attempting to Get a Vaccine (for MoCo Residents)

This information is up to date as of Saturday 2/6.

Getting a vaccine is an extremely frustrating and confusing process at this moment. Some people who believed they had appointments have been turned away on site because they weren’t actually allowed to register yet. Others who sign up for notifications have missed out on getting an appointment because they checked their email too late. This guide is here to help!

*One very important item to note: The priority groups (1A, 1B, 1C, etc) for MoCo and the priority groups for the state of Maryland are not the same. One key difference is most people under 65 with pre-existing conditions are considered 1C in MoCo, but are considered priority group 2 in the state of Maryland. See MoCo’s priority groupings here: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/#priority-groups

See the state of Maryland’s priority groupings here: https://covidlink.maryland.gov/content/vaccine/

All links and information below come directly from https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine . None of these links are private, all are publicly available.

It is highly recommended that if you pre-register or sign up for a notification from a specific provider that you add their email as a favorite contact, a VIP, or that you enable automatic forwarding so you get a text message (see instructions here)

Vaccine Provider: Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services

Who can sign up: MoCo Priority groups 1A-1C (includes under 65 w/pre-existing conditions) can preregister here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=-bEBbuWxc0Csl3eAaaCtZIX4xtdwGclLpDnoMzWyXUdURFA5Tkg5MzBLMkdTQlJPM1BYTlRDR0lEUS4u

Other Information: Currently 1A and people 75 and older in 1B are getting emails with private links to make appointments. The rest of 1B and all of 1C may preregister and are not receiving links to make appointments yet.

Link to main website :https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/#priority-groups

How you will be notified: When it is your turn to make an appointment, you will get a private link from this email address: [email protected]

Sign up for updates via text and email: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MDMONTGOMERY/signup/21366

Vaccine Provider: Adventist

Who can sign up: State of Maryland’s 1A-1C (does NOT include most people under 65 with pre-existing conditions) — Anyone in these categories can make an appointment when they are available. No pre-registration is necessary.

Other Information: Adventist holds clinics on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Recently, they’ve been announcing appointment availability via email sent at 9pm once a week (changes depending on availability).

Main website: https://www.adventisthealthcare.com/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine/

How you will be notified: Anyone who signs up for an alert will get an email from [email protected] — emails are being sent to EVERYONE, getting an email does not necessarily mean you qualify for an appointment.

Sign up for updates via text and email: https://www.adventisthealthcare.com/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine/alerts/

Vaccine Provider: Holy Cross

Who can sign up: Anyone in the state of Maryland’s 1A and 1B groups can make an appointment when vaccines are available. Holy Cross is not accepting 1C yet.

Other Information: Appointment slots are released at 4 PM on specific weekdays. An announcement on the top of the main website is updated regularly to share when the next 4pm sign up will be. Spots go very fast. There are different links for each priority group.

Main Website: https://www.holycrosshealth.org/health-and-wellness/covid-19-vaccine/schedule-appointment

Link for 1A: https://www.holycrosshealth.org/health-and-wellness/covid-19-vaccine/vaccine-group-1a

Link for 1B: https://www.holycrosshealth.org/health-and-wellness/covid-19-vaccine/vaccine-group-1b (there are additional vaccine appointments reserved for the following groups: people 75 and over, people with intellectual disabilities, people with developmental disabilities. )

How you will be notified: There is not a way to sign up for updates. You have to keep checking the banner at the top of the website to see when the next appointments are available. https://www.holycrosshealth.org/health-and-wellness/covid-19-vaccine/schedule-appointment

Vaccine Provider: MedStar Health

Who can sign up: State of Maryland’s 1A-1C can preregister (in their words, “request a vaccine appointment”) — does NOT include most people under 65 with pre-existing conditions.

Main website: https://www.medstarhealth.org/mhs/about-medstar/covid-19-vaccine-information/

Sign up to pre-register for a vaccine appointment: https://covidvaccine.medstarhealth.org/?opt_id=oeu1612540269174r0.6961076058697293&_ga=2.194918059.729201067.1612636683-1751905011.1612540270

How you will be notified: You will also get an email with private instructions for making your appointment when it is your turn from [email protected]

Who can sign up: State of Maryland’s 1A-1C can sign up for appointments, does NOT include most people under 65 with pre-existing conditions.

Main website: https://giantfood.com/pages/covid-info

How to register for an appointment: Scroll down to the middle of the main website, click on the purple “SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT HERE” text.

Vaccine Provider: Safeway

Who can sign up: All Marylanders over 65, 1A, 1B (state of Maryland priority groups)

Main website: https://www.safeway.com/pharmacy/covid-19.html

Link to make an appointment: https://www.mhealthappointments.com/covidappt

Sign up for updates: https://www.safeway.com/my-vaccine-communication.html

Vaccine Provider: Johns Hopkins

Who can sign up: Johns Hopkins Patients only who are in one of these categories: Marylanders 65 and up, state of Maryland groups 1A-1C (does NOT include most people under 65 with pre-existing conditions. )

Other Information: “Patients who meet current eligibility criteria will be contacted via email or phone when it is their turn to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment”– a MyChart account is needed. Patients are randomly selected on a daily basis to receive a call or email about scheduling an appointment.

Sign up for a MyChart account (Hopkins Patients only): https://mychart.hopkinsmedicine.org/mychart/signup

Vaccine Provider: University of Maryland Medical System (Baltimore location only)

Who can sign up: State of Maryland groups 1A-1C (does NOT include most people under 65 with pre-existing conditions. )

Main Website: https://www.umms.org/coronavirus/covid-vaccine/get-vaccine

Vaccine request form link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/d1747b1fb8f1433a81b2ea00f93f0e94

Vaccine Provider: Maryland Department of Health MassVax (Located at Six Flags)

Who can sign up: State of Maryland’s 1A-1C (does NOT include most people under 65 with pre-existing conditions. )

Main website: https://massvax.maryland.gov/

State website with more information: ttps://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/vaccine

Sign up for updates via text : Text “MDREADY” to 898-211

Vaccine Provider: US department of Veteran Affairs

Who can sign up: Veterans 65 and older, Veterans who are under 65 if they: have a co-morbidity, are experiencing homelessness, live in a group home, are on renal dialysis, or use a wheelchair.

To schedule an appointment for the Washington DC VA Medical Center, call: 202-745-4342

To schedule an appointment for the Martinsburg VA Medical Center, call: 800-817-3801 or 304-263-0811

Washington DC VA Medical Center Vaccine Website: https://www.washingtondc.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp

Martinsburg VA Medical Medical Center Vaccine Website: https://www.martinsburg.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp

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