Govenor Hogan has announced a plan to offer $3 million in grants to community groups, to expand and improve vaccination rates.
The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) is accepting applications from community-based organizations for the Community COVID-19 Vaccination Project. This project is part of the state’s ‘No Arm Left Behind’ initiative to ensure vaccines are available to every Marylander who wants one.
To date, Maryland has reported more than 6.3 million vaccinations, and the state has vaccinated 71% of adults.
As part of the project, MDH will award a total of $3 million to fund community-focused strategies to further increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and vaccination access for residents in vulnerable, underserved, and hard-to-reach communities across the state.
“The Community COVID-19 Vaccination Project complements the ‘No Arm Left Behind’ initiative and the Vaccine Equity Task Force to expand our ground game and get even more Marylanders vaccinated,” said Governor Hogan. “The project will be a partnership between state health officials and community-based organizations that understand the unique needs and concerns of their residents. We encourage organizations to apply now to be part of the program.”
MDH and its Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (MHHD) will award grants to approximately 30 community-based organizations through the Community COVID-19 Vaccination Project. Award amounts will range from $50,000 to $250,000 to support vaccine education and outreach and establish community vaccination clinics. MDH will prioritize applications that focus efforts in targeted ZIP codes with low vaccination rates. The Community COVID-19 Vaccination Project aligns with the statewide GoVAX campaign to promote vaccine confidence and the work of the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force to break down vaccine barriers and expand access in underserved areas.
“We are committed to further increasing vaccine uptake and responding to vaccine hesitancy in minority and vulnerable populations through community partnerships,” said Secretary Dennis R. Schrader of MDH. “The funding from this project will support our successful strategy of strengthening trust in the vaccines by engaging in a more intimate and grassroots level with our communities.”
Additional information about the Community COVID-19 Vaccination Project is available on the state’s online procurement platform eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) at https://emma.maryland.gov.
