Officials in Maryland are approaching the conclusion of a major campaign to get all adolescents in the state vaccinated by giving college scholarships worth $50,000.
$1 Million Worth of College Scholarships Will Be Provided for Vaccinated Teens in Maryland
In a recently published article in MSN News, the Maryland Department of Health, in collaboration with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, sponsored the "Vax U" program, in which $1 million in college scholarships were awarded to Marylanders aged 12 to 17.
The program, which started on July 12 and will end on Labor Day, will include a total of 20 draws, according to Hogan. If a child meets the age requirements and has received at least one COVID-19 vaccination injection, they are immediately eligible for the award.
Winners during the draw will win a Maryland 529 Prepaid College Trust Contract or a Maryland 529 College Investment Plan, as well as the opportunity to transfer the scholarship to a private or out-of-state institution of their choosing, according to a published article in People.
Meanwhile, Maryland Secretary of Health Dennis R. Schrader encouraged young Marylanders to take advantage of the offer with just a few days remaining before it expires.She said that there are four more scholarships to be awarded on Labor Day. They encourage everyone aged 12 to 17 to be vaccinated as soon as possible to be eligible for the drawing on Monday.
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Vaccination Status in Maryland
According to the Maryland Department of Health, 81 percent of Maryland's adult population has gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, with a total of 3.7 million people completely vaccinated. Nearly a million Marylanders, though, have yet to get their vaccination.
Schrader told a news source that he believes the Pfizer vaccine, which just received final FDA clearance, would inspire more people to get vaccinated. The FDA has given Pfizer clearance for individuals aged 16 and above. As the FDA continues to thoroughly evaluate the vaccine, it is still approved for emergency use in children aged 12 to 15, according to a published report in Yahoo News.
He stated that many people who had previously indicated that they did not get vaccinated because they were waiting for full approval of any vaccines. Now he believes that there is no reason for Marylanders not to get vaccinated because Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has already received full authorization and approval.
Vaccination Increases But Infections Continue to Spike
Maryland health authorities said on Saturday that more than 7.5 million coronavirus vaccinations had been distributed throughout the state, marking a significant milestone as the state continues to experience high levels of COVID-19 infections. According to health department statistics, the state reported 1,368 new coronavirus cases, the fourth straight day with at least 1,000 illnesses.
Over the last two weeks, Maryland has averaged more than 1,000 cases each day since Thursday. The state averaged approximately 220 infections daily during the previous 14 days around the same time in July when the rate was rising. In late June, the average was about 60, according to a published report in Baltimore Sun.
While approximately six out of ten Maryland residents are vaccinated and thus protected from the virus's worst symptoms, hospitalization, and death, Neil Sehgal, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, believes there is a chance that some may contract a breakthrough infection.
