COVID-19 Update: Vaccinated Residents Continue to be the Best Protected; Scholarship Incentives Available for Those 12-17 to Get Shots

The State of Maryland, and Montgomery County, in particular, continue to be among the national leaders in having residents receive COVID-19 vaccinations. The effectiveness of the vaccinations is demonstrated by the latest figures on hospitalizations and deaths related to the virus. And the Maryland scholarship program incentive for those 12-17 to get vaccinated began this week and will run through Labor Day.

 
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 81.5 percent of Montgomery County residents age 12-and-over are fully vaccinated. [NOTE: CDC numbers differ from numbers calculated by the State of Maryland because Maryland numbers include all residents—including those under age 12 who are not currently eligible to receive vaccines.]

This week, Maryland surpassed the milestone of having more than seven million residents vaccinated. CDC statistics show that

• 75.8 percent of Marylanders 18-and-older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, outpacing the national rate of 67.8 percent.
• 92.4 percent of Marylanders 65-and-older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, outpacing the national rate of 88.8 percent.
• Maryland ranks sixth in the nation, with 57.4 percent of the total population fully vaccinated.

Maryland statistics released last week show that all COVID-19 deaths in Maryland in June, as well as 95 percent of cases and 93 percent of hospitalizations, were among unvaccinated people.

Nationally, the rate of COVID-19 cases is dramatically increasing among nonvaccinated residents 18-and-under. That is why the State initiated an incentive for those 12-17 to get vaccinated and become eligible for college scholarships of up to $50,000.

The State’s $1 million “VaxU Scholarship Promotion” is an incentive program to encourage 12- to 17-year-olds to get vaccinated. Winners will receive a $50,000 scholarship, which covers the equivalent of full tuition and fees at a public, in-state institution of higher education. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) will jointly administer the initiative, which will select 20 winners through random drawings between now and Labor Day.

This week, the VaxU Scholarship Promotion began random selection of two winners per week for eight weeks. On Monday, Sept. 6—Labor Day—four winners will be selected. To qualify for a scholarship, students must live and be vaccinated in Maryland.

The award will be distributed in the form of a Prepaid College Trust or College Investment Plan from Maryland529, and can be utilized in accordance with the guidelines for those programs:

A four-year Maryland Prepaid College Trust Account will be funded for a winner who is between the ages of 12-14 at the time of the drawing.


A Maryland College Investment Plan contribution will be awarded to individuals between the ages of 15-17 at the time of the drawing.

Winners will be selected utilizing the same random number generator used for the $2 Million VaxCash Promotion. Similar to that promotion, the winners of the VaxU promotion will be permitted to remain anonymous. However, the city or county of the winner will be published.

Federal COVID-19 relief funds will be used to cover the cost of the program. For more information, visit the MHEC VaxU Scholarship Promotion website.

The County is encouraging residents 12-18 to get vaccinated. Information on how to make appointments is available at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/.

Residents can walk into County-run clinics without an appointment.

Youth ages 12 to 15 no longer need to preregister for appointments. Parents/guardians can make appointments for them at clinics using the Pfizer vaccine.

Those needing help making an appointment by emailing c19vaccination@montgomerycountymd.gov.