Many Eastern Shore residents got COVID-19 shots in Maryland, new vaccination data reveals

The state began incorporating coronavirus vaccination data of Virginians who received their shots in Maryland into its records Thursday.

The Virginia Department of Health said obtaining the information from a neighboring state and providing it to the public will present a more accurate picture of herd immunity levels in the state. The data is available through the agency’s online COVID-19 dashboard.

The new information predominantly affects numbers in the Northern Virginia localities close to Washington and the Eastern Shore. The Eastern Shore’s fully vaccinated rate benefited the most, with an increase of close to 1%.

State public health officials are working on gathering the same data from North Carolina and Washington. Data from Tennessee was added in August, they said.

The change boosted first dose rates by 0.33% in Alexandria, 0.46% in Arlington and 0.39% on the Eastern Shore. The fully vaccinated rates for those localities rose 0.28% in Alexandria, 0.25% in Arlington and 0.91% on the Eastern Shore.

The state will reciprocate by providing Virginia-administered vaccinations of Marylanders to Maryland but hasn’t done so yet, a health department spokeswoman said.

Elisha Sauers, 757-839-4754, elisha.sauers@pilotonline.com