Amid shortage, Maryland acting health secretary says COVID vaccine providers should conserve second doses

Maryland’s acting health secretary on Tuesday said health care providers should hold in reserve enough COVID-19 vaccine to administer second doses to people who have already received one shot — rather than using their supply to give more people their first inoculation against the infectious disease, as some have recommended. “We are very adamant that we should not be burning through second doses as first doses, unless the federal government suddenly opens up the floodgates and we have doses coming from everywhere,” said acting secretary Dennis R. Schrader during a virtual Maryland House of Delegates committee hearing.