As Baltimore-area schools walk back restrictions, COVID-19 response becomes part of familiar health messages

Anne Arundel County schools superintendent Mark Bedell rolled up the sleeves of his white t-shirt outside of the Parole Health Center in Annapolis Sept. 29 and pointed to his shoulders. “Can I get Moderna on the right and flu on the left,” he asked the licensed practical nurse administering his vaccines ahead of the winter season. “I have to do this, with all of the people I’m around.” Bedell is among many school officials around the region emphasizing the importance of vaccinations and continued vigilance against the COVID-19 virus this fall. As Baltimore-area school systems have walked back most restrictions and mandates, the COVID-19 response is increasingly woven into familiar public health messaging about the approaching flu season or the common cold.