SALISBURY, Md. - Following the news of the Johnson and Johnson pause, the Maryland Department of Health temporarily stopped walk up appointments for two mass vaccination sites.
Hours later, however, MDH reversed its decision. Walk ups are now welcome again at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center.
Aimée McGowen and her friend Mimi Roa decided to take a day trip to Ocean City and get their shot on the way. Luckily, they were able to schedule an appointment for this morning. "These appointments opened up and I was just in a rush to get it because of the second dose waiting time. So we went for it and we're going to make a little day trip out of it," McGowen says.
According to the Maryland Department of Health, the state paused walk up appointments at the Civic Center so they could switch to providing Pfizer's vaccine. This comes after the state suspended the administration of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. The J&J shot is potentially linked to 6 cases of blood clots out of 6.8 million shots administered.
Ricco DiMattia scheduled his second shot for today weeks ago, but says walk up appointments are critical to get more people vaccinated. Especially if they do not have access to technology, he says.
"We have to acomodate all people and if they don't have the technology or cell phones or go online and schedule, there should be a provision made for them as long as they can identify who they are," DiMattia says before heading home to fish.
Walk up appointments are only available at this time in Hagerstown, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and here on the shore at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center.
