On January 26, at 5:00 in the evening, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore with LifeBridge Health, convened a COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall. The virtual event, attended by hundreds of Baltimore community members, included a panel of medical leaders.

Marc B. Terrill, president of The Associated, and Dan Blum, president of Sinai Hospital, started the event by emphasizing the importance of staying educated during this time – as information regarding the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has prompted several questions from communities across the country.

The first panelist, Esteban Schabelman, MD, provided a brief update on the coronavirus, including current trends and numbers, on-going safety efforts and testing results. Yoram Unguru, MD, followed up by discussing the vaccines in more detail and detailing the prioritization of segments of the population.

The event continued with Matt Poffenroth, MD, who discussed post vaccination concerns and best practices, such as the continual use of wearing masks, while Leslie Simmons, system chief operating officer and executive vice president at Lifebridge Health, expanded on public vaccination plans.

A Q&A portion concluded the event, with all four panelists and Dan Blum, answering questions moderated by Beth Goldsmith, Chair of the Board of The Associated. Questions ranged from which locations for which to sign up, the length of time between vaccinations and much more.

Read the full transcript of the night’s event.

The Associated is dedicated to helping you navigate the vaccination process. In partnership with state and local hospital systems, we will continue to compile resources and to bring you the most up-to-date information. You can learn more by visiting associated.org/vaccines

Please keep in mind that the vaccination process is slow and information regarding it changes frequently.