LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The day after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended approval for one of the COVID-19 vaccines that could be ready for distribution as early as next week, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials Friday provided additional information about vaccination plans for Michigan, including priority groups for to receive the vaccinations.
Michigan health officials have set a goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders 18 years of age or older, about 5.4 million adults, by the end of 2021.
“The COVID-19 vaccine will help all our communities eliminate the virus,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “Because initial allocations of vaccine will be limited, we must prioritize how the vaccine will be distributed across the state and will use the guidance and principles outlined by the CDC and national experts. We want every adult to be planning now for how they will get their vaccine once it becomes available to them.”
Distribution of the vaccine will be in a phased approach, with with state officials saying there will be an emphasis on both ensuring the continuing functioning of the health care system and essential services in the community and protecting people at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Those prioritizations may change as more information on vaccine effectiveness and additional vaccination products become available.
The phases laid out by MDHHS officials Friday include:
Phase 1A: Includes paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home, as well as residents of long-term care facilities.
Phase 1B: Includes some workers in essential and critical industries, including workers with unique skill sets such as non-hospital or non-public health laboratories and mortuary services.
Phase 1C: Includes people at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness due to underlying medical conditions, and people 65 years and older.
Phase 2: Is a mass vaccination campaign for all adults.
More information about the COVID-19 vaccine is available at Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
