Pages - PHOTO RELEASE: State Center leads the way in vaccinating children under 5 with convenient, accessible services

June 29, 2022

Media Contacts:

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

Chase Cook, Deputy Director for Media Relations, 410-767-8649

PHOTO RELEASE: State Center leads the way in vaccinating children under 5 with convenient, accessible services

Baltimore, MD—The State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site (300 W. Preston Street) is now offering appointments for COVID vaccinations for children 6 months and older, highlighting Maryland’s continued commitment to equity in pediatric vaccination efforts.

The State Center site offers vaccinations, including Pfizer boosters, to all qualifying Marylanders over 6 months of age on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays each week. Pediatric vaccines became available on Saturday at State Center and are available by appointment only. Appointments can be made through covidVAX.Maryland.gov. The site offers vaccines from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, and 8 to 10 a.m. on Thursday and Saturday.

State Center offers one-stop COVID-19 services, including testing and therapeutics, at no charge to visitors. The site, operated jointly by MDH, University of Maryland Medical System, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, has been operational since June 2020 and is a critical component of Governor Larry Hogan’s COVIDReady Maryland initiative to keep Maryland families safe.

Cedric Helm-Wilkins looks on as he receives a COVID-19 vaccine. State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site began offering the pediatric vaccines on Saturday, June 25. They are available by appointment only.

“It is very encouraging to see our youngest Marylanders getting vaccinated and protected against COVID-19,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “I know that a lot of parents are relieved that their children now join the millions of other Marylanders across the state who are also COVID ready.”

Akash Azadi celebrates during his pediatric COVID-19 vaccine visit on Saturday at State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site.

“Our BCCFH Covid Task Force team has been committed to the fight against COVID since March 2020 and as a pediatrician, I am particularly excited that finally our youngest patients can now get vaccinated,” said Charles Callahan, D.O., Director of the Task Force and Vice President of Population Health for the University of Maryland Medical Center. “Our team felt incredible joy this weekend vaccinating patients under age 5, knowing this was the first step toward protecting them against COVID.”

Myles and Tyson Windom Hayes showed off their superhero masks and a Band-Aid after visiting the State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site.

In addition to vaccination services on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, State Center also offers rapid testing, on-site or telehealth clinical evaluation, and COVID oral antiviral pills if needed Monday through Saturdays as part of a Test to Treat program. Maryland now has more than 85 Test to Treat locations that can be found by visiting the testing locator at covidTEST.maryland.gov.

For more information on COVID-19 resources, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov.

To schedule a COVID -19 vaccination appointment, visit covidvax.maryland.gov or call the GoVAX Call Center at 1-855-MD-GOVAX.

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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.