ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Wednesday, the Allegan County Health Department (ACHD) announced that it has received its first Phase 1A allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is produced by Moderna.
ACHD staff and volunteers, who will be vaccinating other individuals, will be the first to receive the vaccine next week. ACHD Phase 1A clinics will start the first week of January 2021 by appointment only.
Based on the Center for Disease Control prioritization guidance, Phase 1A clinics will only serve health care workers who are not being vaccinated through a hospital or other organization. Officials say that while Phase 1A clinics will not be open to the general public, the ACHD is already looking ahead to future phases.
As part of its planning, the ACHD is asking the public to complete the “I want the COVID-19 Vaccine” form available at www.allegancounty.org/covid. ACHD will then be able to notify those who sign up in the future when it is time to make a vaccination appointment, as well as how to make it.
“It is incredibly humbling to be part of the team providing the COVID-19 vaccine to our community members,” Personal Health Manager Lisa Letts said in a statement. “We believe in the vaccine and the science that goes into developing a safe and effective vaccine. This is another tool that will bring us one step closer to a healthier Allegan County.”
Distribution of the vaccine in Michigan will be in a phased approach because it will be several months before enough of it has been received to vaccinate everyone.
The prioritization guidance, established primarily by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), has an emphasis on ensuring continued functioning of the health care system and essential services in the community, as well as protecting people at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
To find out where everyone has been categorized on the vaccine prioritization guidance, visit www.michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
