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Gov. Larry Hogan Friday touted the state’s launch of a 30-second public service announcement video that features six Maryland doctors who discuss the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
The doctors featured in the video are:
- Dr. David Tuel, an Oakland-based orthopedic surgeon
- Dr. Nalin Mathur, a Waldorf-based internist
- Dr. Prafullkumar Patel, a Baltimore-based internist
- Dr. Joi Johnson-Weaver, a Columbia-based board-certified family physician
- Dr. Anna Maria Izquierdo-Porrera, a Silver Spring-based geriatric internist
- Dr. Casey Scott, a Cambridge-based family medicine specialist and deputy health officer for the Dorchester County Health Department
“Research shows that people feel more comfortable getting a vaccine when they hear about the experience directly from someone they know and trust,” Hogan said in a statement. “Maryland’s doctors play a critical role in our statewide vaccination campaign due to their existing relationships with patients. We are grateful for their efforts to help get shots into the arms of every single Marylander who wants one.”
Health Secretary Dennis Schrader echoed similar sentiments to that of the governor.
“Doctors are invaluable in helping us reach Marylanders who may be more hesitant to receive the vaccine,” Schrader said in a statement. “Our GoVAX doctors represent both the communities they serve and the trusted voices that patients seek when making decisions about their health—their role will be increasingly important in helping us make sure all Marylanders get vaccinated over the coming weeks and months.”
The public service announcement is now on WBAL-TV and will begin to air statewide on television on Monday, April 26. The public service announcement will also be available on social media in the near future.
There are 441,155 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland as of Friday morning, according to the Department of Health, and 8,447 people in Maryland have died from the virus. The state’s positivity rate is at 5.1%, which is slightly above CDC recommended guidelines for containment. Maryland has conducted almost 9.5 million COVID-19 tests.
Maryland’s health care providers have administered 4,220,920 coronavirus vaccines. That includes 2,451,133 (40.544%) first doses and 1,589,30 (26.288%) second doses. Nearly 1.8 million people in Maryland have been fully vaccinated, which is about 30% of the state’s total population.
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