LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services today announced the state is moving to a new phase of vaccination beginning next Monday.
The state will move to Phase 1B of the vaccine rollout, which includes front-line essential workers like police officers, first responders, state and federal employees, jail and prison staff, teachers, and child care providers.
The state is also opening vaccinations to Group A of Phase 1C, which includes people older than 65.
“The more people we can get the safe and effective vaccine, the faster we can return to a sense of normalcy,” said Governor Whitmer. “I urge all seniors to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible and that all Michiganders to make a plan to get vaccinated when it becomes available to you.”
Whitmer said the state hopes to administer 90% of received vaccines within a week of getting them. She called on the federal government to speed up the flow of vaccines.
Up to this point, only health care workers and nursing home residents had been getting vaccinated. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday morning that of 520,150 COVID-19 doses in the state, 152,511 had been administered. Of those doses, 8,000 went to people in long-term care facilities through a federal program.
Michigan’s chief medical executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun said at the governor’s press conference that more than three times as many doses were administered last week as in the first week of vaccinations. She said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials told her in a Wednesday call that Michigan now ranks among the top five states in terms of percent of residents vaccinated.
More information on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is available at Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.
