Local Health Departments Respond to State Expanding COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility to Ages 16 and Up Starting April 5th

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced Friday that the state is expanding vaccination eligibility for Michiganders 16 and over starting April 5th. However, local health departments are hoping there will be an increase in supply of the vaccine to go along with the increase in eligibility.

“It would get to the point where we would find out on Friday what we were getting on Monday and it changed quite often early on,” says Steve Hall, health officer for the Central Michigan District Health Department.

Hall says the last few months have been difficult administering the COVID-19 vaccine as the demand far outweighed their supply.

“We didn’t know what we were going to get week to week early on, which made it very difficult to plan, especially when you’re trying to organize a mass clinic,” says Hall.

Now, Hall says the supply has leveled out.

On Friday, Gov. Whitmer announced that by April 5^th, 70 percent of Michiganders over the age of 16 will be eligible for the vaccine.

“Honestly it was a surprise,” says Hall. “Something tells me that the state knows that we’re going to get an increase in supply moving forward in the next few weeks. I don’t see them making that decision if they didn’t realize there was a lot more vaccine coming into the state.”

CMDHD plans to host more mass clinics in order to meet the demand.

Hall says he also expects a whole community effort:

“I would expect to see maybe more provider offices being able to give vaccines, additional pharmacies, I could see the federally qualified health centers getting more vaccines.”

Hall says we’re all going to have to work together in order to reach President Biden’s goal of nearly full vaccination by July Fourth.

“We’re all going to look forward to that July Fourth barbeque,” says Hall.