Although recent seven-day averages for COVID-19-related hospitalizations across the country have remained stable, health officials in Michigan have noted an “alarming” increase among unvaccinated individuals. In the first three weeks of March, authorities recorded a 633% increase in hospitalizations among adults aged 30-39 and an increase of 800% among those aged 40-49.
“Michigan is making progress to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing vaccination rates, but the war is not over yet,” said Gary Roth, DO, physician at the Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA), in a statement to the press. “Now is not the time to let your guard down and take the risk of contracting COVID-19 with more contagious variants emerging and vaccines becoming widely available.”
On Monday, the state opened the vaccine’s eligibility to adults 50 and older, as well as people 16 and older with disabilities or other medical conditions. Caregivers and guardians of eligible people aged 16 and over may also receive the vaccine. The state will open eligibility for all adults from April 5.
“My prescription for all Michiganders is to wear your mask, wash your hands, avoid crowds and, when it’s your turn, get the vaccine,” said Roth. “You must continue to take preventive measures even after being vaccinated, because it takes at least two weeks for full vaccine protection to take effect after the last dose and it will take time to vaccinate everyone.”
The data showed a correlation between hospitalization rates and vaccination rates among older populations. Those aged 80 and over had the highest vaccination rate fluctuating between 40 and 50 percent and also saw the lowest hospitalization rates close to 0 percent. Officials said the correlation shows the vaccines’ effectiveness.
“The data also indicates that, although the elderly still have a higher risk of hospitalizations, the percentage of hospitalized patients under 40 years of age has doubled, showing that adults of any age are vulnerable to the complications of the disease”, he reports. launch said.
The state saw more than 636,600 cases of COVID-19 and nearly 16,000 deaths.