Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital Launches Pilot Program For Walk-Up Vaccinations With No Appointments Needed

The Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital (BCCFH), a public-private partnership of the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), will be launching a pilot of same-day walk-up COVID-19 vaccinations with no appointment needed, starting this Thursday, April 22.

A limited amount of 200 Pfizer vaccines will be available each day on a walk-up basis between 10am and 12pm Monday thru Saturday for individuals age 16 and older, following Maryland's vaccination eligibility guidelines. Aligning with the charge from MDH for geographic priority at the BCCFH, the walk-up slots will be offered for residents of Baltimore City.

Walk-up vaccinations offer an option for Baltimoreans who have difficulty accessing registration via a computer or phone, or who may prefer it instead of direct scheduling or pre-registration. Individuals seeking a walk-up vaccination should follow signage directing them to the area outside the Pratt Street Lobby near the Light Rail stop, which will be a different "check-in" area than for other BCCFH COVID-19 operations. Walk-up times and vaccination capacity may change over time, and individuals should be prepared to wait, depending on demand.

Vaccination appointments are also offered at the BCCFH; individuals can call 410-649-6200 or visit www.umms.org/BCCvaccine to book an appointment. Additional information about other vaccine sites and Maryland's response to COVID-19 is available at covidlink.maryland.gov. Vaccine and other coronavirus data are available at coronavirus.maryland.gov.

About the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital

To meet the increased need for COVID-19 care, the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital (BCCFH) was established in March 2020 by the State of Maryland and managed jointly by Johns Hopkins Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical System. The BCCFH has cared for more than 1,300 COVID-positive inpatients and is the longest running COVID-19 Alternative Care Site in the State. In June 2020, the capacity to administer COVID-19 testing on a large scale was added, and more than 101,000 tests have been performed at what has become the State's highest volume testing center. In the late autumn as monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19 infection became available, the BCCFH began providing this treatment and has cared for more than 2,000 patients, again the highest volume of any State center and a nationally recognized center of excellence for this treatment by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In February 2021, the BCCFH was operationalized as Maryland's first large scale public vaccination center and to date has provided more than 85,000 COVID vaccinations.

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