Governor Hogan Announces Immediate Expansion of COVID-19 Booster Eligibility to All Adults

ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the State of Maryland has expanded eligibility for COVID-19 boosters to include all adults. This expansion will help further the state’s public health goal of maintaining immunity against severe COVID-19.

“As of today, Maryland has already administered more than 800,000 booster shots, and we are immediately expanding our campaign further to include all adults,” said Governor Hogan. “As the holiday season approaches, with more travel and more gatherings, we are encouraging all Marylanders to get a booster shot and maintain their immunity. The state has a robust network of vaccination providers, and we continue to have both the supply and the capacity to provide a booster shot to anyone who needs one.”

Expanded Guidance to Providers. The Maryland Department of Health has issued a new bulletin directing all providers to administer upon request a booster dose of any FDA approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years and older who completed a primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago.

Individuals who received a primary series of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine at least two months ago continue to be eligible for a booster dose.

State health officials continue to strongly recommend that the following individuals get a booster shot as soon as possible:

• Individuals aged 65 years and older
• Individuals who live in long-term care settings, those who have underlying medical conditions, and those who work or live in high-risk settings or in communities with high transmission rates

The bulletin further emphasizes to providers that they may not turn away any individual requesting a booster dose.

More Than 800,000 Booster Shots. To date, the State of Maryland is reporting 802,987 booster shots administered. Nearly half of the state’s eligible seniors have received a booster shot. Official data is available at coronavirus.maryland.gov.

Find a Vaccine Clinic. To find a clinic, visit covidvax.maryland.gov or call the state’s multilingual call center, available seven days a week, at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).

Request a Vaccine Clinic. Businesses, schools, organizations, or community groups can request a GoVAX Mobile clinic for their organization at governor.maryland.gov/govaxmobile or call 1-855-MD-GoVAX (1-855-634-6829).