Michigan’s coronavirus vaccine eligibility is about to expand significantly.
As of Monday, March 22, any residents aged 16 and over with disabilities or medical conditions that put them at greater risk for a serious case of COVID-19 will be eligible for a vaccine, according to Friday morning. , March 12, announcement by the governor’s office.
In addition, all Michiganders aged 16 and over will be eligible for a chance starting on Monday, April 5. This is much earlier than the previous projection, which had all the remaining eligible adults from mid to late summer.
The announcement came after President Joe Biden ordered states on Thursday night to make all adults eligible for a vaccine by May 1.
State officials are advising vaccine providers to consider an individual’s risk of exposure due to their employment and their vulnerability to serious illnesses when scheduling appointments. Although eligibility increases significantly, it is expected to take several weeks after April 5 for anyone who wants a vaccine to get an appointment.
“The safe COVID-19 vaccine is the most effective way to protect you, your family and others from the virus,” said Governor Whitmer in a prepared statement. “It will help the country to return to normal and help the economy.
“Almost one million michiganders of all races have already been safely vaccinated. I urge all Michiganders eligible to have one of the three COVID-19 vaccines. It is essential that our country returns to normal, so that we can all embrace our families, go back to work, go to restaurants, send our children to school, play sports and get together again. And as always: disguise, practice safe social detachment and avoid large internal meetings where COVID-19 can easily spread from person to person. We will eliminate this virus together. “
Medical conditions that put individuals at greater risk for serious diseases caused by the coronavirus include cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD. Down syndrome, heart problems, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies. It also includes people who are immunocompromised by a solid organ transplant, obesity (BMI 30 kg / m2 or greater, but <40 kg / m2), severe obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, smoking and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Other conditions that can increase your risk and therefore make you eligible early for a vaccine include moderate to severe asthma, cerebrovascular disease. cystic fibrosis, hypertension or high blood pressure, dementia, liver disease, pulmonary fibrosis, thalassemia and type 1 diabetes mellitus, or if you have had a blood or bone marrow transplant or are using corticosteroids or other medication to weaken the immune system.
Check with your local hospital or health department for the procedure for registering a vaccine. You should also check with local pharmacies, such as Meijer, Rite Aid or Cardinal Health.
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), Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 8 pm 5 pm, or on Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 am to 1 pm or call 2-1-1.
As of Wednesday night, about 22% of Michigan adults and 57% of senior citizens in the state have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to data from the state health department.
A total of 2,835,638 doses of vaccine were administered, including 1,824,772 first doses and 1,010,866 second doses. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two injections weeks apart, while the Johnson & Johnson injection requires one dose.
Even with the increase in COVID-19 vaccinations, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical officer of the state, still urges everyone to continue to practice preventive measures, such as the proper use of masks, social distance and frequent hand washing to reduce spread of the virus until the vast majority of people were vaccinated.
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Friday, March 12, coronavirus data in Michigan County: Missaukee now with more than 20% positivity rate