Mayor Brandon M. Scott (Courtesy Photo/https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/)
It’s outrageous. Governor Hogan said that Baltimore City has gotten “far more than they are really entitled to.”
Baltimoreans are Marylanders too. They are both entitled to and deserve the vaccine. However, city residents do not have equitable access to vaccine doses. The State has not provided an equitable share to Baltimore City, but has required local health departments to utilize a broken, online-only sign up model that has forced our Health Department to develop workarounds. The State has ignored the barriers to access for communities too often left behind when we talk about healthcare in America.
Week after week, the Governor has refused to share where the State is allocating doses in Baltimore City. The Governor has refused to set up an equitable model for statewide vaccine registration. The Governor is now saying Baltimore City received more vaccine than we were “entitled to.” On behalf of Baltimore City and its residents – my constituents, who are also the Governor’s constituents – we are requesting an equitable supply of vaccine, and a commitment from the State that it will partner in delivering it in a way that ensures we are reaching our most vulnerable communities.
Equitably and efficiently distributing the vaccine is key to ending this pandemic. While our supply is limited, Baltimore will continue to work in partnership to focus our vaccination efforts on our neighbors at the highest priority, namely older adults over 65.
My administration remains prepared to vaccinate Baltimoreans as quickly as our supply allows. My Health Department has worked closely with the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Department and National Guard to develop a robust plan to equitably distribute vaccines once Baltimore receives an adequate allocation.
In service,
Brandon M. Scott
Mayor of Baltimore City