April 8, 2021

Media Contact:

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

Charlie Gischlar, Deputy Director, Media Relations, 443-463-7234 

Mobile vaccination unit hosts COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Caroline County

Baltimore, MD – One of the state’s first mobile vaccination units has been positioned since last weekend in Ridgely, MD, where it is hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics for Caroline County residents through the GoVAX Mobile program. Caroline County Health Officer Laura Patrick, R.N. and Director of Emergency Services Anna Sierra visited the mobile vaccination unit today to see it in action.

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), local health departments, and Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force all play a role in managing GoVAX Mobile activities. One of the primary goals of the program is increasing vaccine access for Marylanders who live in remote and underserved areas across the state. Local health departments work directly with vulnerable and hard-to-reach residents to register them for vaccination appointments. 

“We are so appreciative of the opportunity the FEMA teams have provided to increase vaccine access for our residents,” said Caroline County Health Officer Laura Patrick, RN. “In a rural county with huge transportation challenges and high rates of poverty, the FEMA teams have enabled us to reach vulnerable populations where they live, work, and worship.” 

“As vaccine eligibility has expanded to all Marylanders 16 and older, access and equity are important to ensure residents who want to get vaccinated have the opportunity to do so,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “The mobile vaccination units operated through our GoVAX Mobile program are an invaluable tool in opening up points of access and bringing vaccines to vulnerable and underserved communities.”

Each vaccination unit can administer at least 250 vaccine doses per day. In each destination, the units will conduct daily vaccination clinics for approximately six days before moving to another county.

Left to right: Laura Patrick, Caroline County Health Officer, Anna Sierra, Caroline County Emergency Services Coordinator, Sara Visintainer, Caroline County Commissioners Office, and Zane Hadzick, FEMA External Affairs Officer.

FEMA Mobile Vaccination Unit

FEMA Mobile Vaccination Unit