Michigan is expanding eligibility for the vaccine again this month, and on April 5, anyone aged 16 and over will be eligible to make an appointment.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s March 12 announcement came hours after President Biden asked states to open eligibility for all adults by May 1.
Michigan has nearly 8.1 million residents aged 16 and over, according to the US Census Bureau. More than 24% have already received at least one dose of the vaccine and 14% are fully vaccinated.
Michiganders 50 and older will soon be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine
Here’s what you need to know about expanding vaccine eligibility.
1. Until March 21, eligibility includes ages between 50 and 64 with “pre-existing illnesses, disabilities and other medical vulnerabilities” and caregivers of children with disabilities.
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:
- 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.
Family members of the caregiver and guardians aged 16 or over of children with special health care needs may also be vaccinated.
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 performing daily self-reliance activities or substantial limitations on an important activity in life.”
2. Proof of eligibility may vary depending on the vaccine supplier.
The MDHHS does not specify what documentation is required 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 System 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.
3. Those previously qualified can also continue to make an appointment if they have not yet been vaccinated.
Those who qualify before this month remain qualified, and many providers are prioritizing these groups.
This includes people aged 65 and over, health workers, long-term care workers and residents, first responders, correctional workers, daycare and school staff, employees in congregated care facilities, mortuary service workers, food processing workers and agricultural environments.
4. On March 22, all residents aged 50 and over will be eligible for the vaccine, as well as young adults with pre-existing illnesses.
As of Monday, March 22, anyone aged 50 or over is eligible for a vaccine, as well as any resident aged 16 or over with a disability or medical conditions that puts them at greater risk for a serious case of COVID -19 will be eligible for a vaccine.
See the list above for qualifying conditions.
Vaccines will also continue to be available to all those previously eligible.
5. Any Michigan resident aged 16 or over will be eligible from April 5.
All Michiganders aged 16 and over will be eligible for a chance starting on Monday, April 5th. This is much earlier than the previous projection, which had all the remaining eligible adults starting from mid to late summer.
6. 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
Some providers say they will continue to prioritize older adults, essential workers and people with pre-existing illnesses, so it may take longer for young, healthy adults to get an appointment.
7. Sign up for an appointment.
The pharmacies Meijer, Rite-Aid, Walgreen and Kroger and Cardinal Health in the Upper Peninsula are offering vaccines and may be your best bet. Most of these places require people to make reservations online.
Here are links to the vaccination sites for Meijer, Rite-Aid, Walgreen’s and Kroger.
Individuals can also enroll on waiting lists at the local health department, as well as at local hospitals. Here is a link to contact information for local health departments.
The federal government is also operating a mass vaccination site at Ford Field in Detroit. The site will begin serving residents of southeastern Michigan from 8:00 am to 8:30 pm on Wednesday, March 24. The clinic will be open seven days a week until mid-May. Click here for a link to make an appointment.
Detroit Field in Detroit chose the new mass vaccination site COVID-19
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 . at 1pm
8. COVID-19 vaccinations are provided at no cost to patients.
“There will be no fee for the vaccine, regardless of whether or not you have health insurance coverage,” says the MDHHS on its website. “If you have insurance coverage, the vaccine supplier may charge you an administrative fee, but YOU will not have to pay anything. (If you do not have insurance, this fee will come from the Health Resources and Services Administration Provider Relief Fund, NOT you.) ”
9. 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.
No, Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine is not inferior, say Michigan doctors
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