Brown Stresses Equity, Need For One-Stop Appointment Portal During Vaccination Site Visit
Press Release
This morning, Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04) visited the state-run vaccination site at Six Flags in Maryland to discuss progress, view ongoing operations and speak with officials on how the federal government can best support quick and equitable distribution.
During the visit, Congressman Brown stressed the need to target vaccine distribution toward the hardest-hit areas of the state like Prince George's County, the need to have members of underserved communities speak directly to vaccine skeptical populations and the need for a one-stop portal to streamline the vaccine appointments. Over the last several weeks, Maryland has consistently ranked as one of the worst-performing states for vaccine distribution.
Only 4.05% of Prince George's County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine -- by far the lowest rate in Maryland. Inequitable distribution has slowed vaccination rates with every county receiving at least 300 weekly doses, Prince George's receives approximately nine doses per 1,000 residents. Maryland residents have experienced website crashes, endless hours on the phone and an appointment system that is simply "not working as it should." The result, as characterized by The Atlantic, is "no more fair or logical than an old-fashioned Moscow queue for cabbage."
"Black and brown communities have seen disproportionate infections, hospitalizations and deaths from this pandemic. Now, with multiple safe and effective vaccines there is a real risk that communities like Prince George's County will be left behind by Governor Hogan's fragmented and inequitable strategy," said Congressman Brown. "We need to better prioritize these communities and tailor outreach that speaks directly to their needs and concerns. We knew that the largest scale vaccination effort in our country's history would be a logistical challenge. Maryland must step-up in order to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents."
At this time all appointments for Six Flags America have been reserved through February 15, 2021. According to the state of Maryland, additional appointments will be released in the near future.
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