Maryland to deploy single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine starting this week

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Governor Larry Hogan announced on Monday that, following approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State of Maryland will begin to deploy the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine his week.

Maryland has been initially allocated 49,600 doses of the J&J vaccine, 100% of which will be deployed to providers this week. This is only an initial allocation; the federal government has stated that future allocations of J&J could be uneven, and may be significantly smaller than this week’s allocation.

This is the third safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine granted emergency use authorization by the FDA. State officials will direct this vaccine allocation widely to mass vaccination sites, hospitals, local health departments, and community health centers. This vaccine will also be deployed to pharmacies that the federal government has selected to participate in its retail pharmacy partnership.

Federal officials have advised states that individuals may receive any recommended COVID-19 vaccine and are encouraged to receive the earliest available vaccine. In addition, they say a single-dose vaccine may be preferred for those who want to complete their immunization scheduled quickly, do not want to return for a second dose, or have difficulty returning for a second dose.