BALTIMORE â Eight-year-old Christian Mugera went first, extending his arm for a blood draw and then a needle stick for a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. His brother, 11-year-old Gerald, wanted to follow, but staff struggled to get a blood sample.
Their father, Dr. Charles Mugera, called them stoic in their potential contribution to science, as they were among the first scheduled to participate in a trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicineâs Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health. The study is assessing the safety and efficacy of the Moderna vaccine in young children.
âWe did explain to them about the trial,â Mugera said. âBut more importantly for them, they think getting the vaccine will bring life back to normal. Thatâs more convincing for them. They know they get to go to school and see their friends.â While Christian got a shot Tuesday, Gerald wasnât able to because the staff never could obtain his blood sample. Thatâ�
Vaccine Eligibility Expands To All People 16 Or Over. Is Massachusetts Ready?
Hundreds of people and medical staff fill the floor as medical staff inoculated the public and first responders against COVID-19 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on February 1, 2021.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
Monday is the day a lot of people have been waiting for in Massachusetts.
The state will open up eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 16 or over, adding another 1.7 million people to the list of those who can sign up.
Mondayâs registration is the latest test for the state, which has faced challenges with its vaccine supply, distribution capacity and technological readiness. But state officials say they are ready.
Lawmakers, public health and technology experts say the early expansion of eligibility marked just one of a handful of missteps that made Maryland’s vaccination rollout inefficient and inequitable.