ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 14, 2021—The Montgomery County Council will hold a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. focused on the COVID-19 vaccination program in our community. County Executive Marc Elrich will join the meeting along with Montgomery County Deputy Health Officer James Bridgers, Montgomery County Latino Health Initiative Senior Manager Sonia Mora, Latino Health Steering Committee Co-Chair Monica Escalante, African American Health Program Executive Commitee Co-Chair Beatrice Miller and other public health representatives.

This town hall will provide the latest information on the vaccine rollout plan in Montgomery County, describe the priority order for vaccinations mandated by the state government based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and give residents a forum to get their specific questions answered directly by public health representatives.

“Vaccine distribution has begun across the country and we are all eager to get vaccinated quickly and protect the most vulnerable in our community,” Council President Hucker said. “Still, there is a lot of confusion about vaccine rollout plans. The Council, along with our county's top health officials, will provide clarity on Montgomery County’s vaccine distribution plan and answer all your vaccine-related questions during this important town hall. We hope you can join us.”

“Across the country, our state, and our county, the distribution of vaccines has finally begun. Vaccinations serve as a vital tool to help protect and mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 in our community,” Council Vice President Albornoz said. “As we navigate the next critical phase of this epidemic, we are working hard to address the challenges the vaccine rollout currently presents and ensure public health is protected for all.”

The members of the Montgomery County Council include: Council President Tom Hucker, Council Vice President Gabe Albornoz and Councilmembers, Andrew Friedson, Evan Glass, Will Jawando, Nancy Navarro, Craig Rice, Sidney Katz and Hans Riemer.

The virtual town hall will be held through a Zoom webinar. Councilmembers and staff from the Department of Health and Human Services will have breakout rooms for community members to attend and ask their questions and voice their concerns. One breakout room will be dedicated to community members who speak Spanish.

Community members must register ahead of time to participate in the virtual town hall through Zoom by clicking here. The Council must receive your registration by Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. Residents will receive an email confirmation with the appropriate Zoom information to participate. Residents without internet access can call 240-777-7931 and leave a message to register.

The virtual town hall meeting will be televised on County Cable Montgomery on channels 30 (Fios), 1056 (RCN) and 996 (Xfinity). The meeting will be streamed on Facebook (MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil) and YouTube (MoCoCouncilMd). 

For more information or questions contact Juan Jovel at Juan.Jovel@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7931. If you need assistance to participate in this meeting or in any Council activity, please contact the Council as far in advance as possible at 240-777-7900 or send an email to County.Council@montgomerycountymd.gov.

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The same Zoom link for the meeting can also be found at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcocuysqzksH9SwGtSnEFlRQ8dr-bpFdNRx