All MD Giant Pharmacy Locations Offer COVID-19 Vaccine (2024)

Eligible MD residents can schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments at Giant Food's pharmacies. Plus, vaccination rates climb, mass vax sites.

Posted Thu, Apr 1, 2021 at 10:16 am ET|Updated Thu, Apr 1, 2021 at 11:00 am ET

Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday that for the first time, more than 70,000 COVID-19 vaccinations were reported in a single day in Maryland. In total, the state is reporting a record 70,373 new vaccinations—shattering all previous daily records.

In addition, the state is reporting a new record seven-day average of 55,074 shots per day. A total of 2,689,924 doses have now been administered.

According to CDC data, Maryland has surpassed 75 percent of Marylanders 65 and older receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have placed Maryland’s seniors at the forefront of our statewide vaccination strategy, and as nursing home outbreaks and deaths continue to decline, we are seeing those efforts pay off in a big way,” Hogan said in a news release. “If you know a senior who has not yet been vaccinated, please reach out to encourage them and help them to pre-register or make an appointment.”

Each week, the state has expanded efforts to vaccinate seniors, standing up a dedicated call center, partnering with hospital systems to hold clinics at independent living facilities, piloting clinics at adult day care centers, and bringing primary care providers online.

Marylanders eligible in Phase 1, 2A, and 2B are all eligible to pre-register for an appointment at the state’s mass vaccination sites or the new federal site in Prince George’s County.

Mass Vaccination Sites

Maryland will open six more mass vaccination sites in April, Hogan said. This will bring the state's total to 12 high-volume immunization sites.

The new facilities will open at:

• The Timonium Fairgrounds the week of April 5
• Montgomery College in Germantown the week of April 5
• An unnamed Anne Arundel County site the week of April 12
• An unnamed Frederick County site the week of April 12
• An unnamed Howard County site by the end of April
• An unnamed Harford County site by the end of April

Maryland's five other active mass vaccination clinics are located at:

• The Baltimore Convention Center
• Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium
• Upper Marlboro's Six Flags America
• Waldorf's Regency Furniture Stadium
• Salisbury's Wicomico Youth & Civic Center
• Former Wolf Furniture store in the Hagerstown Premium Outlets.

Pre-register by visiting covidvax.maryland.gov or by calling 1-855-MD-GOVAX.

How To Sign Up At Giant Food

"We're extremely proud of all of our Giant pharmacy teams across our stores for their commitment to serving the public and doing their part to help our communities get vaccinated," said Paul Zvaleny, director of pharmacy operations at Giant Food. "We're honored to have the privilege of now being able to offer the vaccine at all 152 of our pharmacy locations to further assist in efforts to help our communities recover from the pandemic."

First dose appointments can be scheduled at giantfood.com/covid-info. If no appointments are available, check back at a later time.

Giant pharmacies are using Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, dependent on the pharmacy location. If a person is receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, pharmacy staff will schedule second dose appointments at the time of the first dose.

COVID-19 vaccinations are free, but residents should bring their heath insurance card and driver's license to the appointment.

In addition to vaccinations in stores, Giant is hosting some off-site clinics to ensure equitable distribution of the vaccine. Last week, one of the vaccination clinics was hosted at the Arc of Prince George's County for people served by that organization.

According to the company, the expansion of availability will increase access for currently eligible residents and future eligibility groups. The expansion comes as all Maryland jurisdictions are expected to begin phase 1c (certain essential worker groups) by mid-April and phase 2 (all residents 16 and up) by May 1. Some health districts have started phase 1c, but Northern Virginia's health districts remain in phase 1b.

Maryland COVID Numbers Take A Turn

Maryland's coronavirus cases are back on the rise. The state just contained its post-holiday infection surge. Cases plummeted until mid-March, but the numbers are now trending in the wrong direction.

Overall, the state has confirmed 412,928 coronavirus cases, and 8,118 deaths, the Maryland Department of Health said Thursday morning. The statewide positivity rate is now 5.51 percent, an increase of .21 percent in the last 24 hours.

Maryland has recorded 3,174,552 negative tests and 9,875 patients have been released from isolation.

A total of 1,013 COVID patients are currently in Maryland hospitals.

Last week the governor pointed to new strains of the coronavirus that are hitting Maryland. He noted that B-117 is one of his biggest concerns.

This highly-contagious strain causes severe nausea and diarrhea, clarified Dr. David Marcozzi, the COVID-19 Incident Commander for the University of Maryland Medical System. Marcozzi also mentioned that these symptoms have even troubled children and young adults.

Support For COVID-19 Sufferers

The Maryland Department of Health on Wednesday relaunched its CovidCONNECT website, offering support to residents who have firsthand experience with COVID-19. Users will find guidance and support from peers who share similar experiences and access resources to promote physical, emotional and mental health.

Learn more at covidconnect.health.maryland.gov.

The relaunched site includes new features like CovidCONNECTIONS — stories from Marylanders who have personally felt the affect of the virus. The site will soon feature COVID stories from all 24 Maryland jurisdictions and will also increase its mental health support offerings, including a regular webinar series on coping with the pandemic.

“Many Marylanders are experiencing significant mental health impacts as a result of having had COVID-19, prolonged isolation, financial stresses, grief from losing loved ones and general life disruption,” said BHA Deputy Secretary Dr. Aliya Jones. “We can find renewed strength and learn how to move forward by sharing our experiences, resources and support with one another."

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Maryland, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov.

For the most recent Maryland COVID-19 vaccine data, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov.