Vice President Kamala Harris Visits M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Anthony S. Fauci, MD, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also toured site managed by University of Maryland Medical System and State of Maryland

BALTIMORE — A mass vaccination site that's received worldwide recognition as an example of America's successful COVID vaccination initiative was the focus of attention by Vice President Kamala Harris, who toured the site today.

The occasion marked the Biden-Harris administration's first 100 days in office—of which the biggest goal, delivering more than 100 million vaccinations, has been greatly surpassed in part thanks to the uniquely American innovation of turning stadiums into mass vaccination sites.

The M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site is approaching a milestone of 250,000 shots administered since opening on February 25. It is co-managed by the University of Maryland Medical System, the Maryland Department of Health, the Maryland National Guard, and the Maryland Stadium Authority.

Vice President Harris greeted and thanked patients who were being vaccinated and asked them to encourage others to roll up their sleeves and do the same. She also offered appreciation to frontline healthcare workers. "Here in Baltimore, you guys are doing amazing work," the Vice President said to the assembled staff.

Also touring the site were Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Maryland Governor Larry Hogan; Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen. The dignitaries toured the 55,000-square-foot clinic, located on the club level of the Baltimore Ravens home stadium. In addition to watching a University of Maryland Medical System nurse administer the vaccine to several patients, they took note of one of the most interesting features of the site: two large bars that have been transformed into pharmacies, where UMMS pharmacists fill syringes with what for months has been the most sought after substance on earth, the COVID vaccine.

"Our staff and leadership at the M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site have been working tirelessly to get all Marylanders vaccinated," said University of Maryland Medical System President and CEO Mohan Suntha, MD. "We appreciate the Vice President taking time to recognize the efforts of our team."

"Today was a big day for us," said Jason Marx, MD, incident commander at the M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site and a physician leader at University of Maryland Medical System. "We were delighted to host today's visit, show what we continue to accomplish to make Maryland safer and are very thankful for the federal, state and local resources that are making it possible for us to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of Marylanders."

The M&T Bank Stadium Mass Vaccination Site is one of Maryland's largest vaccination sites and one of 20 NFL stadiums that have been repurposed as vaccination sites to help end the COVID pandemic. It is nationally and globally recognized as an effective example of a mass vaccination site.

Photos available here: https://bit.ly/3eBjdEA

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state's future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system's more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.