Michigan is expanding the vaccine’s eligibility this month to include residents aged 50 to 64 and caregivers of people with disabilities.
The state has just over 2 million residents in this age group, according to the US Census Bureau. About 13% have already been vaccinated because they qualified through their jobs as essential workers.
Michiganders 50 and older will soon be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine
Groups currently eligible to be vaccinated across the state include health workers, long-term care workers and residents, first responders, prison workers, daycare and school staff, employees in congregated care facilities, mortuary workers, workers in food processing and agricultural environments, and residents aged 65 and over.
Here’s what people need to know about the expansion.
1. From Monday, March 8, eligibility extends to those aged 50 to 64 with “pre-existing illnesses, disabilities and other medical vulnerabilities”.
This group will have an advantage of two weeks in healthy people aged between 50 and 64 years.
In defining “disability”, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services points to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which covers people with physical or mental disabilities that “substantially limits one or more important life activities,” such as eating, sleeping, stand, stand up, read, bend, concentrate, think, communicate and work.
Pre-existing conditions include qualifying for vaccination as of March 8:
- Asthma;
- Cancer;
- Cerebrovascular disease;
- Chronic kidney disease;
- Chronic pulmonary obstruction disease;
- Cystic fibrosis;
- Pulmonary fibrosis;
- Down’s syndrome;
- Cardiac conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies;
- High pressure;
- Immune system weakened by transplantation, HIV or 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 above 25;
- Sickle cell anemia;
- Smoker;
- Type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus;
- Thalassemia.
2. Also from 8 March, caregivers of people with disabilities are eligible for vaccination.
Family members of the caregiver and guardians aged 16 or over of children with special health needs can be vaccinated starting on Monday.
Special health care needs include “any physical, developmental, mental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive or emotional disabilities or limiting condition that requires medical management, health intervention and / or use of specialized services or programs,” according to the MDHHS. “The condition can be congenital, developmental or acquired through illness, trauma or an environmental cause and can impose limitations on carrying out daily self-maintenance activities or substantial limitations on an important activity in life.
3. Proof of eligibility may vary depending on the vaccine supplier.
The MDHHS does not specify what documentation is needed for those aged 50 to 64 with pre-existing illnesses and those who care for children with special needs. This will be up to the vaccine supplier.
“We are going to demand evidence. We hear that most places will require some kind of proof, ”said John Foren, a spokesman for Sparrow Health in Lansing.
Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids has said it will rely on the information provided on people’s registration forms. “We ask everyone to provide complete and accurate information about any underlying medical conditions that may or may not make them eligible for vaccination at this time,” said a statement from Spectrum Health.
4. On March 22, all residents aged 50 and over will be eligible for the vaccine.
As of Monday, March 22, anyone 50 years of age 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 point, the demand for vaccines continues to exceed supply. However, President Biden said the United States would have produced enough vaccine for all adults by the end of May.
Michigan offers vaccinations for more people, but frustration grows for those still struggling to make appointments
5. Sign up for an appointment.
People eligible for the vaccine are encouraged to enroll on waiting lists at the local health department, as well as at local hospitals. Meijer and Rite-Aid pharmacies and Cardinal Health on the Upper Peninsula are also offering vaccines.
Here is a link to contact information for local health departments, as well as links to the Meijer and Rite-Aid websites.
Residents who do not have access to the internet or who need help navigating the vaccine scheduling process can call the COVID-19 Hotline by calling 888-535-6136 (press 1) from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm. Saturday and Sunday 8am to 1pm
6. COVID-19 vaccinations are provided free of charge to patients.
“There will be no fee for the vaccine, regardless of whether or not you have health insurance coverage,” says MDHHS on its website. “If you have insurance coverage, the vaccine supplier may charge your insurance an administrative fee, but YOU will not have to pay anything. (If you are uninsured, this fee will come from the Health Resources and Services Administration Provider Relief Fund, NOT 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 medical provider,” says the MDHHS website. “You must not wait; you should get the vaccine that is available to you. The CDC does not give preference to one vaccine over another. “
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine requires two doses. If you receive the Pfizer vaccine, the second dose should be 21 days after the first dose, and the second dose of the Modern vaccine should be 28 days after the first. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one dose to build the best immune response.
Read more about MLive:
Mental health struggles are on the rise in Michigan families during the pandemic. Here are their stories.
The psychological impact of the pandemic on our children
Editor’s Letter: We asked students, parents and teachers, ‘Are you okay?’ They said ‘no’
When will I be vaccinated? Question No. 1 of the pandemic that is making Michiganders nervous
5 things to know about Michigan’s last school standing for virtual learning
Florida, beach parties and car trips: not all Michigan colleges canceled spring break this year