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Michigan is expanding vaccine eligibility this month to include residents aged 50 to 64 and caregivers of people with disabilities.
The state has just over 2 million people in this age group, according to the US Census Bureau. About 13% have already been vaccinated because they qualified through their work as essential workers.
Michiganders 50 and over will soon be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine
Groups currently eligible to be vaccinated statewide include healthcare workers, long-term care workers and residents, first responders, correctional officers, daycares and school personnel, school personnel community care facilities, mortuary service workers, food processing and agricultural workers, residents 65 years of age and over.
Here’s what people need to know about expansion.
1. Effective Monday, March 8, eligibility extends to those aged 50 to 64 with “pre-existing conditions, disabilities and other medical vulnerabilities”.
This group will benefit from a two-week head start over healthy people aged 50 to 64.
In defining “disability”, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services refers to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which covers people with a physical or mental disability that “significantly limits one or more major activities of life.” , such as eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, reading, bending, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working.
Pre-existing conditions include those that are eligible for vaccination as of March 8:
- Asthma;
- Cancer;
- Cerebrovascular disease;
- Chronic kidney disease;
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- Cystic fibrosis;
- Pulmonary fibrosis;
- Down’s syndrome;
- Heart disease such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies;
- Arterial hypertension;
- Weakened immune system following transplantation, HIV, or the use of corticosteroids or other drugs that weaken the immune system;
- Liver disease;
- Neurological conditions such as dementia;
- Obesity or overweight, defined as a body mass index greater than 25;
- Sickle cell disease;
- Smoking;
- Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus;
- Thalassemia.
2. Also from March 8, caregivers of people with disabilities are eligible for vaccination.
Family members of caregivers and guardians aged 16 and over children with special health care needs can be vaccinated from Monday.
Special health care needs include “any physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive or emotional impairment or limiting condition that requires medical attention, health care intervention and / or the use of services or specialized programs ”, according to the MDHHS. “The condition may be congenital, developmental, or acquired as a result of illness, trauma, or an environmental cause and may impose limitations in the performance of daily self-maintenance activities or substantial limitations in a major activity in life. “
3. Proof of eligibility may vary depending on the vaccine supplier.
MDHHS does not specify what documents are needed for people aged 50 to 64 with pre-existing conditions and those caring for children with special needs. It will depend on the vaccine supplier.
“We will need proof. We hear that most places will require some sort of proof, ”said John Foren, a spokesperson for Sparrow Health in Lansing.
Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids said it would rely on the information provided on people’s registration forms. “We ask everyone to provide complete and accurate information on any underlying medical conditions that may or may not make them eligible for vaccination at this time,” a statement from Spectrum Health said.
4. On March 22, all residents 50 years of age and over will be eligible for a vaccine.
As of Monday, March 22, anyone aged 50 or older is eligible for a vaccine, and vaccinations will also continue for those who were previously eligible.
However, eligibility does not guarantee immediate access: at this stage, demand for vaccines continues to exceed supply. However, President Biden said the United States will have produced enough vaccine for all adults by the end of May.
Michigan opens vaccines to more people, but frustration grows for those still struggling to make appointments
5. Registration for an appointment.
People eligible for a vaccine are encouraged to register on waiting lists with their local health department as well as their local hospitals. Pharmacies Meijer and Rite-Aid and Cardinal Health in the Upper Peninsula also offer vaccines.
Here is a link to contact details for local health services as well as links to the Meijer and Rite-Aid websites.
Residents who do not have internet access or need help navigating the vaccine planning process can call the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136 (press 1) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
6. COVID-19 vaccines are provided free of charge to patients.
“You will not be charged for the vaccine whether or not you have health insurance coverage,” the MDHHS says on its website. “If you have insurance coverage, the vaccine supplier may charge your insurance for administrative costs, but YOU will not have to pay anything. (If you are not insured, this charge will come from the Resource Administration and Health Services Provider Relief Fund, NOT from you.) ”
7. People cannot choose which of the three vaccines they will receive.
“Although supplies are scarce, it is unlikely that you will be able to choose which vaccine you will receive from your health care provider,” the MDHHS website says. “You shouldn’t wait; you must take whatever vaccine you have. The CDC does not make a preference for one vaccine over another. “
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses. If you are receiving Pfizer vaccine, the second dose should be 21 days after the first dose, and the second dose of Moderna vaccine should be 28 days after the first. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose to create the best immune response.
Learn more about MLive:
Mental health issues are on the rise in Michigan families during the pandemic. Here are their stories.
The psychological toll of the pandemic on our children
Letter from the Editor: We asked students, parents and teachers, “Are you okay? They said ‘no’
When will I get the vaccine? The # 1 pandemic question that makes Michiganders nervous
5 things to know about Michigan’s last school standing up for virtual learning
Florida, Beach Parties, and Road Trips: Not All Michigan Colleges Cancel Spring Break This Year
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