A healthy Michigan resident over 50 can receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as March 22. | stock photo
A healthy Michigan resident over 50 can receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as March 22. | stock photo
The state of Michigan is prepping for an expansion of its COVID-19 vaccination efforts as 500,000 doses are expected to be delivered this week, according to reporting by Bridge Michigan.
With its new bounty, the state will begin vaccinating people over the age of 50 who have underlying health conditions or disabilities on Monday, March 8. Next in line will be all Michigan residents 50 and older, regardless of health status. Those eligible will also include caregivers and guardians who care for children with special health care needs.
The state has been receiving an average of 237,000 doses each week for the past five weeks. Those who have received the vaccine up until now include health care workers, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, people 65 and older, and some workers in essential businesses.
A total of 807,000 -- 46% of the state’s 1.77 million seniors -- have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. There are 383,000 that have already received both doses. In all, 1.46 million have received at least one dose.
“The more people we can get the safe and effective vaccine, the faster we can return to a sense of normalcy,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, according to Bridge Michigan. “I urge all eligible Michiganders to get one of the three COVID-19 vaccines to protect you, your family and your community.”
There are an estimated 2 million Michigan residents between the ages of 50 and 65, which is about 20% of the population. There will be questions that need to be answered as the rollout begins for this new group of state residents. One that needs to be addressed quickly is whether a person will need to provide medical information (to show an underlying condition) in order to qualify to receive the vaccine.
“I’ve instructed my staff not to nitpick the details over a patient. If we have a vaccine left from a person we have to turn away, that’s a vaccine that we have to find someone else to give,” Dr. Tiffany Sanford, chief medical officer at the Detroit-based The Wellness Plan Medical Centers, told Bridge Michigan.
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