FORT MEADE, Md. – Maryland National Guard Soldiers of Maryland’s Vaccine Equity Task Force assembled pop-up vaccination clinics to administer COVID-19 vaccines to Reserve Soldiers and the community, Nov. 6, 2021, at the John E. Smathers U.S. Army Reserve Center here.
The team, which was hosted by the Maryland Department of Health, was able to vaccinate 60 residents including civilians and reservists who were drilling that weekend.
“Normally, we do pop-up missions where we go to sites that the MDH sends us to, like high traffic areas of people that may or may not be hesitant to get the vaccine, as well as underserved communities,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Kevin Mancao, VETF Team 4 lead. “We had Capt. Kamara from the Reserve over here and she did a great job getting people signed in, and her team helped us on a quick resupply and were kind enough to get us things like syringes and band-aids.”
Every day, mobile VETF teams composed of MDNG members deploy to diverse regions across Maryland to help ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine. From the streets of Baltimore to Waldorf, to churches, mosques or synagogues, Hagerstown to Ocean City, and now to other service components of the Department of Defense, a first for the VETF.
“It is a good opportunity to make sure that everyone gets a chance to get vaccinated and educate our troops on what the vaccine can do for everyone,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Hung Diep, a member of the U.S. Cyber Command Army Reserve Element, one of the units that drills at the Reserve Center at Ft. Meade. “To the Guard and Reserve Soldiers that came out today, keep up the good work.”
The MDNG will continue to support the VETF by providing direct support to county health departments, local organizations and faith-based organizations in order to ensure vaccine equity throughout the state, leaving no arm behind.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2022 16:16 |
| Story ID: | 415162 |
| Location: | FORT MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 71 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers Unite to Protect the Community, by SGT Arcadia Hammack, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
