Heather Larsen, a certified nursing assistant at the Marquette County Medical Care Facility in Ishpeming, is the first staff member to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday. Walgreens vaccinated staff and residents that day, with MCMCF previously stating on Facebook it would use the Moderna vaccine. (Photo courtesy of MCMCF)

MARQUETTE — To help reach the state’s goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders over age 16 and bring a quicker end to the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials on Wednesday announced the state is moving to a new phase of vaccination on Monday.

MDHHS is moving forward with vaccination of Michiganders age 65 and older; front line essential workers including police officers, first responders, frontline state and federal workers as well as jail and prison staff; and pre-K-12 teachers and child care providers.

To date, 80% of deaths have occurred among those age 65 and older. In addition to vaccinating Michiganders who are 75 years and older in Phase 1B Group A, MDHHS is accelerating efforts to vaccinate individuals 65-74 in Phase 1C Group A.

MDHHS is accelerating implementation of vaccination of individuals 65-74 years due to concern around disparity in life expectancy by race/ethnicity for this group, which is Phase 1C Group A.

“The more people we can get the safe and effective vaccine, the faster we can return to a sense of normalcy,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I urge all seniors to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible and that all Michiganders make a plan to get vaccinated when it becomes available to you.

“And as always: mask up, practice safe social distancing and avoid indoor gatherings where COVID-19 can easily spread from person to person. We will eliminate this virus together.”

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive and chief deputy for health, said in a statement that these vaccines are safe and effective, and focus on people with the highest level of risk, whether it is because of where they work or their age.

All counties may begin vaccinating residents over age 65. Seniors are urged to visit Michigan.gov/ COVIDVaccine to find local health departments and other local vaccine clinics near them that are ready to book appointments.

Eligible essential workers, teachers and child care workers will be notified by their employers about vaccine clinic dates and locations. Eligible individuals are advised not to visit any of the clinics without an appointment.

Because there is limited vaccines available in the state, there will be limited appointments available. As more vaccines becomes available, the state will be able to move more quickly through the priority groups.

MDHHS is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for prioritization of distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. CDC recommendations are based on input from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the federal advisory committee made up of medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the United States.

Phases are as follows:

≤ Phase 1A — paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home, as well as residents in long-term care facilities;

≤ Phase 1B — persons 75 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure;

≤ Phase 1C — individuals 16 years of age or older at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19 infection, and some other essential workers whose position impacts life, safety and protection during the COVID-19 response; and

≤ Phase 2– individuals 16 years of age or older.

These prioritizations may change as more information on vaccine effectiveness and additional vaccination products become available. MDHHS has provided additional prioritization guidance within these categories.Vaccination in one phase may not be complete before vaccination in another phase begins and there may be vaccination of individuals in different phases that occur simultaneously.

The timing of the start of vaccination in a phase is dependent on the supply of vaccines from the manufacturer, how vaccines are allocated from the federal level to Michigan and the capacity to administer the vaccine to populations. Decisions on moving to the next phase will be made at the state level.

More than 140,000 doses of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to health care workers with more than 8,000 of those doses going to nursing home residents and staff.

Data is being tracked on the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard, which also includes information on the number of providers enrolled to provide the vaccine and vaccination coverage rates by age and race.

Individuals seeking updated information about the COVID-19 vaccine can visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.

There will be no out-of-pocket costs to individuals for the vaccine, although health care providers may bill insurance for administrative costs. The COVID-19 vaccine will require two doses, separated by three or four weeks depending on the manufacturer. Michiganders should receive both doses in order to have full protection from the virus.

Individuals who receive the vaccine may experience mild side effects such as low-grade fever, a sore arm and general discomfort, which indicate that the vaccine is working.

Officials reaction to

vaccine availability

Jerry Hubbard, administrator of the Marquette County Medical Care Facility in Ishpeming, said 300 staff and residents were vaccinated on Wednesday, with Walgreens administering the Moderna vaccine at the facility.

He said the second dose can be given after 28 days have passed.

Hubbard indicated the vaccinations should eventually lead to a safer facility.

“It’s not an immediate thing, but we know it is a chance to get back to normal,” Hubbard said.

Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart issued a statement regarding Wednesday’s announcement that pre-K-12 school employees will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination beginning Monday.

“This is great news for Michigan students and educators alike,” Herbart said. “Ensuring our front-line teachers and education support professionals can be vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and their students is a key step in safely returning to in-person instruction.”

Launch Michigan, a partnership of business, education, labor, philanthropy and civic leaders working together to improve K-12 education in the state, also issued a statement.

“Today’s announcement affirms the essential status of Michigan’s educators,” Launch Michigan President Adam Zemke said. “Placing them near the front of the line when it comes to vaccine access shows how critical their work is to the future of our state and its children.

“We look forward to the day each and every teacher and administrator is protected from the dangerous impact of COVID-19 and commend the Whitmer administration for today’s important action.”

The Michigan Association of School Boards also weighed in on vaccine availability.

“We are very excited and appreciative of the governor’s office and MDHHS accelerating the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to school employees who have face-to-face interaction with students, child care providers and those who are 65 years of age or older,” said Don Wotruba, executive director of the MASB, in a statement. “School districts across the state continue to do great work at keeping everyone in their schools safe. Making this vaccination available to them beginning on Monday is one more step in keeping our dedicated staff and the entire school community protected from this virus, as well as moving closer to resuming and maintaining face-to-face learning.”

David Hecker, president of the American Federation of Teachers Michigan, said in a statement, “We are extremely appreciative that Gov. Whitmer and DHHS Director Robert Gordon have prioritized educators for receiving the COVID vaccine. Making sure educators and students are safe has been our priority. The availability of the vaccine will go a long way towards teachers and students being able to safely teach and learn in the classroom.

“As we emerge from this stage of the pandemic, we must recognize the sacrifices and challenges that educators and public schools continue to face in this unprecedented time. Our public schools are only as secure as our schools are safe, and we’re grateful to have a governor who recognizes the importance of protecting our educators and students.”

Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, gave a statement as well.

“Today’s move to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 65 and older and some frontline essential workers is an important step toward ending the pandemic,” Peters said. “As hospitals near fulfillment of vaccinating all willing and eligible health care workers, now is the appropriate time to ramp up and vaccinate more Michiganders more quickly.”

Over 140,000 health care workers have already expressed their belief in the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, he noted.

“It is important for Michigan residents to understand that hospitals are following vaccine prioritization recommended by the CDC and required by the state,” Peters said. “Our members are working within those requirements, with health departments and others, to reach as many people as possible within the current authorized groups. We encourage all eligible Michiganders to continue the positive momentum established by our health care heroes and follow the process outlined by the state to receive the vaccine.”