Read the governor’s Immunization Awareness Month proclamation.
“The dominant BA.5 subvariant is a reminder of how important it is for Marylanders to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, as well as routine immunizations,” said Governor Hogan. “Through our COVIDReady Maryland plan, we will continue to maximize all of the available tools and treatments for preventing severe illness, and maintaining a state of readiness so that we are prepared to respond to emerging waves and variants.”
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan and Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC) today announced $10 million in block and competitive grant awards to help support programs around the state to address the opioid crisis. The grant funding, which will be distributed between July 2022 and June 2023, will be used to support the Hogan-Rutherford administration’s policy priorities of Prevention & Education, Enforcement & Public Safety, and Treatment & Recovery.
“Our administration has made it a top priority to put the resources and support systems in place at every level to expand access to treatment, and combat the heroin and opioid crisis,” said Governor Hogan. “These grants play a critical role in supporting the local and grassroots work taking place in our communities and health care systems to save lives and promote healing.”
“Tree of Hope was born out of a passion to bring hope and healing to those who struggle with addiction and the stigma of recovery, and a commitment to provide those in the recovery community with the support and resources they need to succeed as productive, contributing members of their communities” says LaTonia Rich, Executive Director of Tree of Hope Association.
Meghan Westwood, Executive Director of Maryland Treatment Centers and a long-time partner of Tree of Hope states that, “Maryland Treatment Centers has had the honor of partnering with Tree of Hope for years to ensure that people in early recovery understand their courage, resiliency and value to the community. Tree of Hope has been a leader in peer leadership for those in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and has made incredible strides in combating the stigma that poses such a barrier to success. This new drop-in center will be a welcoming place to go, without judgment, to find like-minded individuals, with lived experience, to provide mentorship and support. Under the leadership of Latonia and Bunny Rich, Tree of Hope has created the gold standard in recovery support services.”
“988 is an easy-to-remember number and an incredibly fast way to get anyone who experiences a behavioral health crisis the help they need right away,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “In addition, in Maryland, we are integrating 988 into our existing and expanding crisis system support network.”
Suicide was a leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 years in 2020, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Moreover, from April 2020 to 2021, over 100,000 individuals died from drug overdoses in the U.S.
Today the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the spread of monkeypox to be a global health emergency, its highest alert designation, just days after Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services announced that they had received a limited number of monkeypox vaccine doses that will only be offered to a limited number of eligible residents who are at highest risk of contracting the virus.
According to NBC News, the designation means the WHO “now views the outbreak as a significant enough threat to global health that a coordinated international response is needed to prevent the virus from spreading further and potentially escalating into a pandemic.” So far there have been more than 2,500 monkeypox cases reported across the United States.
Residents who are identified by public health officials as close contacts of current monkeypox cases will be offered vaccination. Public health staff from the County’s sexual health programs will be working with community-based non-profit organizations to identify residents who could be at risk and are contacting them directly to offer an opportunity to be vaccinated. As vaccine supply increases, additional residents who are at-risk will be identified and offered vaccination.
Currently, monkeypox vaccinations will be limited to:
The report provides statistics and epidemiology profiles of COVID-19, including infections, testing, hospitalization, deaths, vaccinations, outbreaks and contact tracing. According to the CDC’s COVID-19 community level map, as of March 2022, when the report’s data were last updated, transmission in Montgomery County was in the “low” category. As of late June, the transmission level in the community is in the “medium” category. This is likely to change as new variants and sub-lineages continue to evolve over time.
“Montgomery County fares better than the State and national averages for most indicators related to COVID-19, but vulnerable population subgroups and communities disproportionally impacted by the pandemic remain a top priority to address through the lens of social determinants,” said acting County Health Officer James Bridgers. “Our goal is to implement the evidence-based and data-driven approaches to enhance our programs and services to respond to the pandemic proactively to meet the public health needs of Montgomery County.”
DHHS will be making vaccines available by appointment for this age group. Information will be updated daily at www.GoVaxMoCo.com. When vaccine supply is available, new appointments will be posted at 3 p.m. at www.GoVaxMoco.com.
““It is good news that this last age group is now eligible to receive their vaccine doses,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We know that many parents are anxious to get their babies and young children vaccinated as quickly as possible. As we have seen with previous vaccine rollouts, we expect great demand over the next couple of weeks for these vaccines with limited supply available. Because the majority of the vaccines are going to private pediatric providers, we encourage all parents to check with their pediatrician’s office before using our website to sign up for an appointment. I am grateful for the preparation, planning and outreach efforts from DHHS and our community partners to ensure equitable access to these vaccines. Getting vaccinated and boosted is important to our COVID mitigation efforts, and we continue to encourage everyone to make sure they are up to date on their vaccinations.”
“Abortion care is healthcare. Period. We stand together, as our states’ chief law officers, to proudly say that we will not back down in the fight to protect the rights of pregnant people in our states and across the country. While the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision reverses nearly half a century of legal precedent and undermines the rights of people across the United States, we’re joining together to reaffirm our commitment to supporting and expanding access to abortion care nationwide.
“While this is a perilous moment for our nation, it is a moment that calls for action. Our promise to our residents is simple: We’ll never stop defending your rights. Regardless of the decision in Dobbs, broad access to abortion remains protected in states that recognize reproductive freedom, such as ours. We refuse to go back to the days of politicians trying to tell people what to do with their bodies. When it comes to abortion care, it’s your body and your right to choose. Nobody else gets to make those decisions.
““It is good news that this last age group is now eligible to receive their vaccine doses,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We know that many parents are anxious to get their babies and young children vaccinated as quickly as possible. As we have seen with previous vaccine roll-outs, we expect great demand over the next couple of weeks for these vaccines with limited supply available. Because the majority of the vaccines are going to private pediatric providers, we encourage all parents to check with their pediatrician’s office before using our website to sign up for an appointment,” he said. “I am grateful for the preparation, planning and outreach efforts from DHHS and our community partners to ensure equitable access to these vaccines,” he continued. “Getting vaccinated and boosted is important to our COVID mitigation efforts, and we continue to encourage everyone to make sure they are up to date on their vaccinations.”
When vaccine supply is available, new appointments will be posted at 3 p.m. at www.GoVaxMoCo.com. County-operated clinics for this age group will focus on weekend clinics and will include some weekday evening hours. Appointments are required at this time. The County will continue to receive doses from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), with the majority of doses going to private physicians and pharmacies.
COVID-19 vaccines are now available for Marylanders six months and older, according to the Maryland Department of Health. Visit https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/ for information on vaccine clinics in Montgomery County.
“We welcome having COVID-19 vaccines to help protect our youngest Marylanders against severe illness, hospitalization, or even death from this virus and strongly encourage parents to vaccinate their children,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “We have been preparing to receive these COVID-19 vaccines and, utilizing our vast network of pediatricians, family practitioners, federally qualified health centers, pharmacies, and local health departments, will begin distributing them equitably across the state right away.”