LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Michigan health officials are continuing their plea for people in the state to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying new data from the Michigan Health and Hospital Association proves that the majority of Michigan residents severely sick with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
In a news release Thursday, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director Elizabeth Hertel said, “The data is clear: if you are unvaccinated, you are risking hospitalization or death. We have a safe and effective vaccine that is quite literally saving lives. Michigan residents absolutely need to get vaccinated to keep their loved ones safe this holiday.”
Based on recent data from most Michigan health systems, the Michigan Health and Hospital Association says three out of four COVID patients are unvaccinated (76%), 87% of COVID intensive care unit patients are unvaccinated, and 88 percent of COVID ventilator patients are unvaccinated.
“Michigan’s health care systems are stretched beyond their limits – so much so that the U.S. Department of Defense is providing clinical staffing support to hospitals throughout the state that are operating at capacity, delaying nonemergency medical procedures and placing their emergency departments on diversion,” said Brian Peters, CEO of MHA. “This data confirms what the situation in our hospitals is already telling us: get vaccinated, whether it is your first dose, vaccination for your children or a booster dose.”
Michigan’s number of hospitalized COVID-19 cases reached a new high this week, with 4,291 patients hospitalized. Recently, Michigan reached an overall 70 percent of residents 16 and older who have received their first vaccine dose, but cases are surging in the unvaccinated population. Branch and St. Joseph counties show vaccinations in the mid-40s percentage, according to state records. Cass and Hillsdale counites are just over 40 percent vaccinated. Barry County is at 53 percent; Calhoun County is at 54 percent. Allegan County is at 57 percent, while Van Buren is close to 60 percent; Kalamazoo is nearing 70 percent. For details on Michigan vaccination figures, visit https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98178_103214-547150–,00.html.
