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Media Contact:

Deidre McCabe, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-3536

Charles Gischlar, Deputy Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-6491

Maryland Department of Health expands GoVAX campaign, names Juan Dixon as new Ambassador

Baltimore, MD – The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today expanded Maryland’s GoVAX campaign, launching new public service announcements featuring Coppin State University Men’s Basketball Coach and former NBA player Juan Dixon. GoVAX encourages all Marylanders to protect themselves, their families and communities by getting vaccinated when they become eligible.

“As a mentor to young adults and student-athletes, Coach Dixon is an important addition to our campaign,” said MDH Acting Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “His participation helps communicate about the importance of vaccine confidence, especially to younger Marylanders in communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.”

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“I’m going to get the vaccine because it’s the right thing to do. I want to see my family, I want to spend time with my friends—I want my kids to get back to having a normal life,” said Coach Dixon. “The quicker we can get the vaccine, the quicker we can move forward. And when there’s an opportunity for everyone to go out and get the vaccine, they should definitely get it.”

Coach Dixon joins Maryland’s growing list of GoVAX Ambassadors, including:

●       Governor Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan

●       Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford

●       20th U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams

●       UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowski and Retired Vice President of T. Rowe Price Jacqueline C. Hrabowski

●       Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk

●       Bishop Walter Scott Thomas of New Psalmist Baptist Church

●       Rev. Matthew Watley and Shawna Watley of Kingdom Fellowship AME Church

●       Dr. Kathleen Page, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Coach Dixon’s public service announcement is now airing statewide on television and will soon debut on social media, with a longer format video interview to be added at covidLINK.maryland.gov. As vaccine eligibility continues to expand, MDH will continue to add GoVAX Ambassadors who share their personal stories about getting vaccinated to encourage all Marylanders to do the same.

To date, Maryland providers have administered more than 82% of all first doses received from the federal government, contributing to 936,557 COVID-19 vaccinations statewide. Maryland is averaging 26,360 shots per day.

For more information about COVID-19 in Maryland—including GoVAX campaign media, vaccine resources, fact sheets and FAQ—visit covidLINK.maryland.gov.

To see the latest COVID-19 data for Maryland, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov.​

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement. Follow us on Twitter @MDHealthDept and at Facebook.com/MDHealthDept.​