MARYLAND- Along with Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, the first and second ladies, and Acting Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Jinlene Chan, Governor Larry Hogan is given the first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
Maryland's leaders one by one get the shot to show Marylanders it is safe and effective. Hogan says that people getting the vaccines will allow us to see the normal we once knew.
"Getting vaccinated is the only way to keep you, your families, your friends, and your community healthy and safe," Hogan said. "And, it is absolutely critical to preventing more illnesses, more hospitalizations, and more deaths."
As of Monday morning, over 255,000 doses have been administered in Maryland. Just under 22,000 were second doses.
First responders were part of Phase 1A of Maryland's vaccination plan. According to Public Information Officer Ryan Whittington, paramedics of the Ocean City Fire Department have quickly switched from receiving the shot to assisting in giving them.
"We are transferring that not only to just first responders and other medical professionals, but also delivering it to senior citizens," Whittington said. "And that is one of the most historical things that we are doing that we are taking a part of."
Medical professionals in Maryland say communication during an event as rare as a pandemic is crucial. In conjunction with celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore hosted a town hall to answer concerns. University of Maryland, Baltimore County President Freeman Hrabowski and the other panelists wanted to send messages of hope for a better future.
"As a child growing up under Dr. King, I remember hearing him say, 'Tomorrow Can Be Better Than Today'," Hrabowski said.