WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin, and David Trone (all D-Md.) today applauded the award of more than $54.6 million in federal funding, from the American Rescue Plan, to bolster public health infrastructure and expand vaccination efforts, particularly COVID-19 vaccines, for underserved and hard to reach communities across the state.

“The health and safety of Marylanders is our top priority. Our delegation fought hard to secure this critical funding to help improve Maryland’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts and ensure that every community in our state – especially communities of color, which have been disproportionately impacted by the virus – receives the coronavirus vaccine and helps us get to the other side of this pandemic,” the lawmakers said. “Team Maryland welcomes this new federal funding from the American Rescue Plan and remains committed to ensuring that the federal government provides the necessary resources to bolster Maryland’s public health infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond for children and families across the state.” 

Funding comes from both the newly passed American Rescue Plan and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, which were passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. The award of $54,627,875 comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease.

Lawmakers previously announced more than $68 million in federal funding to support Community Health Centers in their COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts.

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