Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead will lead state efforts to ensure minority populations have access to COVID-19 vaccine Author: Adam Longo (WUSA 9) Published: 11:50 AM EST February 8, 2021 Updated: 6:16 PM EST February 8, 2021 BOWIE, Md. — Minority populations in Maryland, especially African-Americans, are not getting COVID-19 vaccinations as quickly as white residents, according to data from the Maryland Department of Health. Whether access to the vaccine, reluctance to take it, or both, is the problem, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) has tasked the state's Army National Guard Commander to address the inequity. Last week, Brigadier General Janeen Birckhead, the Maryland Deputy Adjutant General, began to take charge of coordinating the state's equity efforts.