COVID-19 vaccinations postponed by Wayne County Public Health Division due to supply shortage

STRAIT – The Wayne County Public Health Division must postpone vaccinations for Tuesday, Jan.19 and Wednesday, Jan.20 due to a depleted supply of vaccines received from the state of Michigan, according to county health officials .

Individuals with first-dose immunization appointments currently scheduled for those two days will be notified individually of their new appointment time by the Wayne County Public Health Department.

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The rescheduled vaccinations will take place at the new Wayne County vaccination site inside the Vista Tech Center at Schoolcraft College located at 18600 Haggerty Road in Livonia.

The rescheduling affects around 1,400 people, mostly healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers who are part of the Phase 1A group on the immunization priority list.

People who are due for their second dose or those who will be vaccinated at a local hospital, nursing home or long-term care facility are not affected.

Wayne County must postpone and relocate its vaccination site as it has depleted its supply of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer.

According to Wayne County, the state has stopped providing Pfizer vaccine for the first doses and is currently only providing the Wayne County Public Health Division with Moderna vaccine for the new first doses.

“Moderna vaccine doses need to be treated differently from Pfizer vaccine. The county will not receive its supply of Moderna vaccine from the state until Tuesday, which will make it too late to handle any vaccinations scheduled for that day or Wednesday, “a statement from Wayne County read on the supply shortage. .

Wayne County vaccinations for people in Phase 1A and essential frontline workers in Phase 1B will resume Thursday at VistaTech Center at Schoolcraft College.

Additional vaccination sites will be announced as more vaccines become available in the state of Michigan, the county said.

“We ran out of Pfizer vaccine on Saturday afternoon,” said Dr. Mouhanad Hammami, Wayne County chief health strategist. “We know it is frustrating and we apologize for the inconvenience caused. Our team is working hard to vaccinate as many residents as possible, but the supply shortage in the state of Michigan remains a challenge. “

More: Michigan counties cancel appointments due to COVID-19 vaccine shortage

Wayne County is currently vaccinating healthcare workers, emergency medical services and essential workers in phases 1A and 1B.

People over 65 or older should schedule a vaccine through their health system, not the county health department.

Kindergarten to Grade 12 teachers will receive immunizations in their school districts in partnership with Wayne RESA.

Other groups in Phase 1B must register online or through their employers to request a vaccine appointment with the Wayne County Public Health Department.

More information about vaccine availability or scheduling updates is available online here.