This week the state expanded who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine but this comes while hospitals and health departments statewide complain of shortages.
Tuesday, the federal government said more vaccines are coming.
“I want to be crystal clear, the state of Michigan has pushed out every single vaccine that we have received,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer last week about Michigan’s slow vaccine rollout.
On the state’s vaccine dashboard it says the state has shipped 829,200 doses but only 233,085 have been administered.
That leaves nearly 600,000 doses somewhere in the state but not in arms.
“We are transporting, we are breaking down, we are working with local public health departments in hospital systems and we’ve made incredible strides,” said Gov. Whitmer.
Despite the seeming surplus, nearly every health department and hospital said they are running out of their allotments.
“We need to get more vaccines into the state of Michigan,” said Whitmer, “So that we can deploy them and that’s what we are working through.”
Whitmer says Pfizer alone has half a million doses sitting in freezers and recently asked for permission to buy some directly.
Tuesday’s announcement by the US Department of Health and Human Services said they are releasing every dose they have to states.
“We are releasing the entire reserves we have for orders by states,” said Health Secretary Alex Azar, “Rather than holding second doses in physical reserve.”
Secretary Azar announced the entire country would move to the next stage of eligibility while they press states to pick up their pace.
“Our approach continues to ensure that there will be a second dose available for someone who gets a first dose of vaccine,” said Azar.
More eligibility, means higher demand and second doses mean even more demand. Secretary Azar says Pfizer and Moderna have shown the ability to keep up, enough to plan ahead.
“That is a key trigger,” said Azar, “That we needed to see.”
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