Maryland is expanding its COVID-19 vaccine outreach to allow residents in Prince George’s County to book an appointment through text messaging.
Gov. Larry Hogan’s office said eligible residents will be contacted to book an appointment at the Six Flags America mass vaccination site in Bowie.
The state is also setting aside at least 500 appointments just for county residents to ensure equity. During beta testing, the state reached out to a subset of county residents on a preregistration list and contacted each by text.
All 300 available slots were filled this past Sunday.
A resident will be contacted up to three times over several days until an appointment is taken.
Hogan’s office said the state found an increased response rate as high as 96% with each text per individual.
The process also takes between 1 to 3 minutes for a texting recipient to register via SMS.
The texting outreach method comes after the state first launched its outbound phone calling pilot program in late January.
Residents are still allowed to register online if they choose, or by phone.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Support Center, which is open seven days a week, can be reached at 855-MD-GO-VAX (855-634-6829) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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