Howard County announced that 80 percent of eligible Howard County residents are fully vaccinated according to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), becoming the first county in the state to achieve this metric. Howard County remains at the forefront of vaccine administration with 67.8 percent of its total population being fully vaccinated.
According to the MDH, 85 percent of Howard County residents 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 67.8 percent of the total population has received at least one dose of a vaccine. Howard is the first county in the state to reach 85 percent and 65 percent in each respective category.
The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 2.07 percent, with a seven-day average case per 100,000 of the population is at 5.57 and a COVID utilization rate of 1.6 percent at Howard County General Hospital.
“While our COVID metrics are still in an acceptable range, they are climbing as a result of the Delta variant’s community spread,” said Howard County Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman. ”It is more highly contagious and transmissible than the native virus, which means that the unvaccinated are at greater risk for hospitalization and death. We encourage those who have yet to be vaccinated to talk to their healthcare provider about the importance of vaccination. For vaccinated individuals, we hope you will share your vaccination experiences to inspire those who have yet to get the vaccine to do so.”
To find a Howard County Health Department clinic, visit vaccine.howardcountymd.gov. Parents and guardians are encouraged and welcome to accompany their adolescents to clinics.
