Governor Northam, Governor Hogan, and Mayor Bowser request federal support to vaccinate essential federal employees

On February 10, 2021, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser sent a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency requesting increased federal support in administering the COVID-19 vaccines to essential federal employees.

“The federal Office of Personnel Management reports that more than 281,000 Federal Civilian Employees work in the National Capital Region around the nation’s capital,” Northam, Hogan, and Bowser wrote. “The federal government has identified more than 10 percent of these workers—more than 30,000 individuals—as critical personnel to ensuring the continuity of national societal functions.”

The letter specifically requests:

• A dedicated allocation of vaccine and associated supplies to support the vaccination of essential federal workers, contractors, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) employees within the National Capital Region;

• A federally supported and operated vaccination site for all essential federal workers, contractors, and WMATA employees within the National Capital Region; and

• Coordinated messaging to employees regarding vaccination efforts for the federal workforce.

“The District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia are focused on vaccinating our residents according to the framework recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” the three leaders continued in their letter. “We welcome the opportunity to support the Administration’s efforts to ensure the continuity of operations for the United States federal government.”

The full text of the letter is available here.