September 14, 2021
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 names Speaker Adrienne A. Jones as new GoVAX Ambassador
Baltimore, MD –The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today expanded Maryland’s GoVAX campaign, launching a new public service announcement about COVID-19 boosters featuring Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones. GoVAX encourages all Marylanders to protect themselves, their families and communities by getting vaccinated if they are eligible.
“As we enter another critical phase of our vaccination campaign, we are grateful that Speaker Jones is now one of our GoVAX Ambassadors,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “She is a trusted voice throughout Baltimore County and across the state and we look forward to her helping us vaccinate Marylanders.”
“If we’re going to stop the spread of the virus, we need as many people vaccinated as possible,” said Speaker Jones. “If you have been fully vaccinated and have a weakened immune system, talk to your health care provider about receiving an additional dose.”
Last week, Governor Larry Hogan announced the immediate authorization of COVID-19 booster shots for all Marylanders 65 and older who are living in congregate care settings, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, residential drug treatment centers and developmentally disabled group homes. MDH also issued guidance instructing all pharmacies and providers across the state to administer boosters to anyone who considers themselves to be immunocompromised, without a prescription or doctor’s order.
A member of the House of Delegates since 1997 and representing District 10, Baltimore County, Speaker Jones joins the state’s growing list of GoVAX Ambassadors, including:
● Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan
● Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford
● 20th U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams
● Melony G. Griffith, President Pro Tempore of the Maryland Senate
● Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, Maryland National Guard and Head of the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force
● Coach Juan Dixon, Coppin State University Men’s Basketball Coach
Speaker Jones’s public service announcement will air statewide on television and on social media.
To date, Maryland has administered more than 7.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, contributing to more than 3.8 million Marylanders being fully vaccinated statewide. More than 95 percent of Marylanders 65 and older and more than 82 percent of Marylanders 18 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Maryland visit covidLINK.maryland.gov.
For the most recent Maryland COVID-19 vaccine data, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov.
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.
