Lt. Governor Gilchrist receives second dose of COVID-19 vaccine

LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Monday,  Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist received a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at Berston Field House in Flint, where he launched the ‘Making Real Change’ tour to promote vaccinations in cities across the state.

Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist speaks in Flint, MI on 5/10/21. (Photo courtesy Michigan Executive Office of the Governor).

He issued the following statement, which can be read below –

“I am proud to have received my second dose of the safe and effective vaccine, so that my loved ones and I will be fully protected against COVID-19. This virus has disproportionally harmed Black Michiganders and other people of color across the state, and we must continue to be vigilant in our pandemic response to address the specific needs of these communities. That is why I am launching the Making Real Change tour, to highlight easy, equitable vaccine access; encourage people who may still be hesitant to get the safe, effective vaccine; and equip everyone who has been vaccinated with the information and resources they need to tell their stories in a way that leads to more people choosing to get vaccinated. The best thing all of us  can do to protect ourselves, our families, and neighbors is to get vaccinated, so we can get back to doing the things we love together.” 

According to Gilchrist, the “Making Real Change” tour will highlight the administration’s continued efforts to flatten and eliminate racial disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on what the state has learned to apply those lessons to equitably administering vaccines; and what the state doing to build the resilience required to close racial disparities in health and other areas within communities.

The Making Real Change Tour will also make stops in Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and Detroit.

To date, the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities has focused on two goals: one to reduce the disparities in the mortality rate of COVID-19, and the second to connect those interventions to more extended term efforts.

Additionally, Gilchrist says that this task force has done the following:

• worked to close the digital divide in telehealth and remote learning,
• launched a “Get Covered” campaign to make a coordinated push for every Michigander to sign up for health insurance, and
• increased mobile testing infrastructure, which has transitioned into vaccine administration and provided guidance to health care professionals on avoiding implicit bias.

The task force was created per Executive Order 2020-55, and acts in an advisory capacity to Governor Whitmer.

It studies the causes of racial disparities and recommends actions to address the historical and systemic inequities.