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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="18-9A-03" title_number="18" title_name="Disease Prevention" subtitle_number="9A" subtitle_name="Covid–19 Testing, Contact Tracing, and Vaccination Act">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before  June 1, 2021, the Department, with input from subject matter experts and other relevant stakeholders, shall develop and submit to the General Assembly a comprehensive plan for vaccinating residents of the State against COVID–19.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The plan required under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Detailed information on:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The categories of residents of the State who will receive priority access to vaccines for COVID–19;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The timeline for providing vaccines for COVID–19 to residents in each of the priority categories and to members of the general public who are not included in priority categories; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Target metrics for vaccinating residents in each of the priority categories and for members of the general public who are not included in priority categories;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A dedication of time and resources to target vaccine distribution and vaccine safety outreach efforts to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID–19 infection, morbidity, and mortality;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A vaccine distribution strategy that allocates resources and vaccines across all partners and vaccination sites in an equitable manner that ensures that the vaccine allocation by jurisdiction accounts for the disproportionate impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on underserved and minority communities; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>A strategy for outreach and distribution of vaccines to individuals who are not receiving the vaccine, due to either lack of access or vaccine hesitancy.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>After submitting the COVID–19 vaccine plan to the General Assembly as required under subsection (a) of this section, the Department shall provide weekly progress reports on implementation of the COVID–19 vaccine plan to the General Assembly for the duration of calendar year 2021.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The COVID–19 vaccine plan and progress reports required under this section shall be submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article.</text>
  </level>
</section>
