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Two days later, on March 24, a federally-selected regional mass vaccination site will open at Ford Field in downtown Detroit to administer an additional 6,000 doses per day for two months.
“The safe COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself, your family and others from the virus,” Whitmer said in a statement. “It will help the country get back to normal and help the economy.”
The United States expects to have enough doses for adults by the end of May, but Biden has warned that the process of administering those doses will take time.
As of Wednesday, about 22 percent of Michigan’s population 16 and older had been fully or partially vaccinated; over 2.7 million doses of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been administered to date.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said it could take “several weeks” beyond April 5 for any Michigan resident over the age of 16 who wishes to receive the vaccine to get an appointment.
Whitmer has set a goal of vaccinating 70% of residents over 16 years of age to achieve collective immunity.
State health officials urge medical providers to consider a person’s risk exposure to contracting COVID-19 at work and their vulnerability to the disease when planning immunization appointments .
Since medical workers were first vaccinated in late December, the Whitmer administration has gradually stepped up vaccinations, starting with teachers, police, firefighters, educators and people over 65, before moving on to shift to agriculture and food processing workers.
On Monday this week, medical providers were allowed to start allowing adults over 50 with disabilities or certain medical conditions to queue for a vaccine against medical providers, pharmacies and health services. local.
Parents and guardians of children with special health care needs also became eligible for the vaccine on Monday.
Starting March 22, people with disabilities aged 16 to 49 and all adults over 50 will be eligible for the vaccine within two weeks before the rest of the population can be vaccinated to protect against serious illness. caused by COVID-19.
“This is good news,” Michelle Roberts, executive director of Disability Rights Michigan, said in a statement. “Since the vaccine rollout in Michigan began, we’ve been pushing for all people with disabilities to be higher on the priority vaccine list. It can really be a matter of life and death.”
Medical conditions that allow anyone over the age of 16 to be vaccinated starting March 22 include:
- asthma
- cerebrovascular disease
- cystic fibrosis
- dementia and other neurological conditions
- HIV
- hypertension or high blood pressure
- immune deficiencies
- liver disease
- pulmonary fibrosis
- thalassemia
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- immune system weakened by blood or bone marrow transplaning
- anyone who uses corticosteroids or other immune suppressing drugs
In addition to Meijer and Rite Aid, supermarket chains Kroger and Walmart have started scheduling COVID vaccination appointments this week at drugstores in select Michigan stores.
– Chad Livengood, editor-in-chief of Crain, contributed to this report.
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