Dear UMB Community,

 

On March 10 at 11 a.m., please join us for an open discussion about COVID-19 vaccines hosted by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Intercultural Center and featuring two COVID-19 experts from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM).

 

At our Should I Get the Shot? A Community Conversation, Mario Majette, MD, MPH, clinical instructor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and director of student and employee health, and Milagritos Tapia, MD, professor in the Department of Pediatrics and an infectious disease specialist at UMSOM’s Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD), will answer your questions and discuss the many concerns about COVID-19 vaccines. 

 

This event is intended to provide a safe space for you to ask questions and share your thoughts and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines. We understand that there are many concerns about these vaccines and questions about their safety, if they can make you sick, and why there is more than one vaccine. We also acknowledge and understand the historical and current impacts of medical racism on vaccine hesitancy. We want to talk about your concerns.

 

Early in 2020, our experts at CVD began critical vaccine research, helping in large part to pave the way for the Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization of two vaccines that are being administered across the country, with more vaccines expected to be rolled out. Thankfully, we are seeing COVID-19 cases decline in Maryland and across the country. Much of this can be attributed to the growing number of individuals who have received COVID-19 vaccines. In our state alone, 12.9 percent of the population has received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

 

Register here for the March 10 virtual event. You also can submit questions, concerns, or comments here. Those interested also can dial in to this event at 1-202-860-2110. (Access code: 182 790 0714; attendee ID: #).

 

I hope that this conversation will help you make an informed decision about COVID-19 vaccination.

 

Sincerely,